A Good Thief
by writergirl712
Summary: The Teen Titans face off a new skilled thief with a connection to Red X, while training a girl with lightning powers and a secret. The line between thieves, vigilantes, and superheroes is tested as romance, betrayal, and conspiracies abound. Some RobxStr
1. Losing Control

**A/N:** So this is my first fanfiction posted on this site. I'm open to any reviews. Read, and enjoy!

* * *

Jump City, in the beginning of summer. The glaring sun beat down on the peaceful city, the air lightly stirred by warm breezes. As if to defy the perfect weather, Jump City High School went on, coming to a close on the last day of the school year.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that the students would be leaving for the next few months, a certain blond girl was performing her routine act. During the 8th period study hall, 2:25 pm sharp when the teacher left early, she began as she had each time.

* * *

"What a bitch."

The remark stung Julia's back like a wasp, causing her to clench her jaw for a moment, then release it. Hearing muffled sniggers from behind her back, she bent her head over her book and attempted to ignore the noise.

_It's the last day_, she told herself with forced patience. _You can deal with this for one more day. Then summer will come, and-_

"She thinks she's all that," the snobby girl continued, casting a contemptuous glance over at the Asian girl. "I mean, _look_ at her. Acting as if she's better than the rest of us."

Julia closed her eyes and tried to block it all out. She could practically see her enemy, standing in the middle of a circle of admirers, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder with practiced ease. This taunting had happened almost every day for half the school year, ever since Julia had lost her temper and told the blond exactly what she thought about her attitude.

_Keep calm_, the Asian girl repeated to herself. _Don't think about the fact that she's all but ruled the school with an iron fist, her father's money, and a container of hair gel. After today, you won't have to worry about her harassing other students, or pushing others around to get her way._

Outside the large glass windows of the classroom, the wind picked up, rustling the tops of the trees and grass in shimmering swells. The rich green grass rippled like waves in an ocean, the grass stems bending to reveal their glossy sides.

"You know, for someone who's in so many smart classes, she clearly doesn't have the brains to pick up friends," the snobby blond went on obnoxiously. "You'd think that she wasn't _capable_ to make friends. Or maybe everyone just hates her." This time, there was louder laughter.

"_At least I would earn friends, not buy them_."

The room fell silent as Julia's voice whipped through the empty space. As soon as she'd spoken, however, the girl instantly wished she hadn't. Her words were as good as a challenge for an all-out brawl. But as soon as she wished that she hadn't spoken, Julia's anger surged again. She had the right to talk back to the blond, to resist backing down. It was only a result of the snob's influence on the student body that gave the impression that no one was to fight her. Taking a deep breath, Julia faced the inevitable conflict that was to come.

The wind outside blew harder, snatching green leaves from the trees and racing away with them. Flower petals were claimed from their flowers, the clouds of multicolored swirls spinning upwards in tight spirals, then falling back down the ground again.

Unaware of this, the blond girl stiffened at her opponent's remark. Turning around slowly, she faced Julia coldly, heavily-lined eyes meeting the other girl's bare violet ones.

"Who asked you, freak?" the blond snapped, perfectly made-up eyes narrowing.

In response, Julia glared back.

"Unlike the rest of the student body, I don't _need_ to submit to your rules. Unlike everyone else, I don't obey your every need or surrender whenever you look down your fake nose at me."

The wind rattled the glass windows loudly, but nobody seemed to notice. All eyes were fixed on the two teen girls as the sky outside darkened to a heavy gray.

At Julia's comment on her false nose, the blond girl gave a sharp gasp, one hand automatically flying to her nose – a sore spot for her (metaphorically). Jumping to her feet, she lifted her chin challengingly.

"Oh, so you're going to stand against me? You and what army?"

It was at that moment that Julia abruptly realized that no one stood behind her. Half the room was currently standing with the blond girl, with the other half of the students watching avidly from the sidelines. She was alone in her fight.

With a giant clap of thunder, there was suddenly the sound of pounding on the roof and sides of the school, as hail as large as fists began to fall from the dark storm clouds. The windows shook alarmingly, the glass shaken against their frames as if alive.

Heedless of the commotion outside, Julia rose to her feet, standing as tall as her petite frame would allow her. She was far past the point where she could've left the room. At this point, if she did, the action would've made her look as if she had given up.

"I'm starting to think that I don't need my own army to back myself up," the girl retorted icily. "Unlike you, who needs to have twenty people behind your back before you can say anything that's vicious."

The blond's eyes were narrowed to slits. There was a tense, strained feeling in the air around them, sharp and taut like a bowstring pulled to its limits. All the students were paying attention by now, waiting for each retort to be delivered.

"At least I belong here," the blond snapped. "Go back to your own country, Asian bitch. Or don't you have any family left there?"

With a deafening crash, gusts of wind punched through the glass windows, sending shards of glass everywhere. The students, including the blond girl, screamed and ducked under desks and behind tables, frantically avoiding the pieces of glass. Most of them sported cuts as they cowered on the ground, hiding.

Everyone except Julia.

The Asian girl stood in the middle of the room, fists clenched and eyes blazing. She had not moved as the window had been broken, even as shards had pierced her skin. Long black hair mussed and clothes rumpled from the wind, she seemed to be in a state of shock. For a moment, her body wavered, her knees buckled, and she sank onto the glass-laden floor.

Before she hit the ground, however, a huge black hand of power suddenly reached down from above and enveloped Julia completely. It withdrew back into the ceiling, then disappeared.

* * *

**A/N:** This actually a rewritten version. Well, this and chapter 2. I was never satisfied with the first few chapters of the story, so I went and rewrote the first two chapters. Hopefully they're better than the originals.


	2. Meet the Titans

**A/N:** Whoo! Back for my second chapter!

I do realize that the chapters may seem a bit short. But I do have many more chapters to go. Actually, even though I just started posting the story here, I've been writing the fanfic for quite awhile now. So I'll probably be posting a few chapters a day, if I can.

* * *

Julia woke with the end of a metal bo staff in her face. To her surprise – and confusion – she saw that five oddly dressed teens were surrounding her, their faces grim. The boy nearest to her was currently pointing the bo staff at her throat. Judging from the red, yellow, and green costume, this was Robin, leader of the Teen Titans.

"Whoever you are, make the weather stop," the Boy Wonder rapped out commandingly. "Right now." With the noise of the storm around them, he practically had to shout.

Looking up, Julia saw a black dome of power over her and the Titans. It had obviously been created by Raven to shield them from the hail, which was pounding against the smooth top as lightning crashed above.

"Leave me alone," Julia yelled back defiantly, inching away from the bo. Her voice shook, from anger or from fear. "It's not me."

"I'd have to disagree with that," Robin retorted grimly. "We saw what happened. Look outside." Raven allowed a section of the dome next to Julia to disappear, to show her the fierce storm that raged outside. Robin met Julia's eyes again. "Now stop the w- ugh!"

The team leader reeled back, his hand to his head. Julia had picked up a large hailstone from the roof and thrown it at him, stopping Robin in midsentence. Now the girl took advantage of the bo pointing the other way. Turning, she scrambled to her feet and made for the empty space in the dome's wall.

Immediately, the wall of the dome filled up again. Black power chords sprang from the wall and wrapped around Julia, who screamed as the bonds pinned her to the dome.

"Let me go!" Julia snapped, glaring at Robin. Raven raised one hand warningly, black power rippling across her palm. Robin, for his part, looked livid as he walked over to stand in front of Julia. On the side of his head, the dark spot from the hailstone was rapidly darkening into a bruise.

"Stop the storm NOW!" With a complicated-looking twirl and a swing of his bo staff, he stopped the weapon an inch from Julia's throat.

The girl merely glared at him.

"Go on," she taunted angrily. "Hit me. You've got nothing to lose. I'm bound, and you're free, with four others to back you up."

Robin made a convulsed movement, causing Julia to shrink away from the end of the bo staff, which trembled with the youth's anger.

"Robin, I do not think this girl will do anything when you threaten her," Starfire said timidly, taking a few steps forward. She was hesitant, as if afraid to anger the leader even more.

"Yeah, man, I think you're only scaring her," Cyborg added.

"Dude, maybe she doesn't even know how to stop it," Beast Boy remarked. They stared at Robin, as if their collective gazes would soften him.

The Boy Wonder remained glaring at Julia, his bo close to her throat.

"Let me," Raven broke in, stepping forward. "I might be able to stop it if I can get into her mind."

For the first time, a real flicker of fear passed over Julia's face. Robin paused, then nodded, not taking his eyes off of the girl in front of him.

Without another word, Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Azarath, Metrion, Xinthos," she breathed. A black spiritual raven, her soul form, rose from her body. Lifting its head, it soared towards Julia, then plunged into her torso.

There was a strange moment when nothing appeared to be happening. Then Julia's eyes rolled up, and closed. She started struggling against the bonds, her face screwed up in pain and fear. It was as if she were battling with something inside her. The Titans watched, unnerved.

Abruptly, Julia stopped fighting, her face settling into a calm and composed state. Opening her eyes, which had become Raven's dark purple – almost black – ones, she spoke in Raven's voice.

"It took me some effort," Raven remarked, "but I took control of the girl's powers. I'm suppressing them right now in order to stop the storm."

Julia's eyes closed once more, and the weather outside began to lessen. As the hail stopped, the lightning dissipated, the clouds faded, revealing the sun shining brightly in the clear blue sky once more.

In a trice, Raven's soul self left Julia's body and dove back to her own. The black dome vanished, and Julia fell to the ground, unmoving. As her soul self returned, Raven gasped, her eyes flying open. She swayed slightly where she stood, breathing heavily.

"Raven!"

Beast Boy was at the cloaked girl's side in a second, slipping an arm around her waist to support her. His voice was edged with worry as he peered up into her face. "Rae, are you all right?"

The dark girl nodded, looking up.

"That girl – she put up a fight," she replied wearily. "She was stronger than I thought. And her powers were completely…uncontrolled."

The Titans looked at Julia, who lay still on the roof, motionless and unconscious.

"Well, it's a good thing today's supposed to be the last day of school," Beast Boy joked.

* * *

**A/N:** Again, this is a rewritten chapter. Some reviews would be nice. (hint hint)


	3. Escape, Of A Sorts

**A/N:** I was rereading and editing the beginning of this fanfic, and I realized that my writing definitely improved. So if this is disappointing or boring you right now (hopefully not), keep reading. The fanfic gets better, I promise you.

* * *

Julia's eyes snapped open. The first thing she saw was a metal ceiling, with a single light bulb in the center. The ceiling was smooth and unmarked, with no blemishes or chips in the metal.

The Asian girl slowly sat up, noticing that she was lying on a practical cot with thin blankets. Looking around, she took in the room.

It was more like a prison cell, Julia decided, her heart thumping in fear. The four walls were metal, as well as the floor and single door, which had no doorknob or buttons. There were no windows, which gave the room a constrained feeling. The only furniture was the cot, a metal table, and a metal chair. Surprise, surprise.

The teen girl closed her eyes. She had to be dreaming or something. Maybe she'd been knocked to the floor and blacked out in the classroom. The last thing she could remember was…a black hand grabbing her.

Wait. Then a black dome, on the roof of the school, and Robin and the other Teen Titans, their faces hard.

Robin yelling and threatening her.

The black raven entering her body.

The mental struggle between her and Raven.

Raven winning, then taking control. She had done…something, by diving into Julia's inner self, where Julia had never gone to. Then the black raven had left, and Julia had blacked out.

The Asian girl opened her eyes again. Was there no way to get out of here? Standing up shakily, she went to the door, which had no hinges. With her eyes and fingers, the teen explored the door, inch by inch. But to no avail. There was no way for her to open it.

Her head spun. She couldn't get out. There were no windows, no fresh air. She felt like she was suffocating, like the metal walls were closing in on her, trying to squeeze her.

"No," Julia whispered to herself. Then, louder, "No!" Anger and terror rose in her, raw and wild, clawing up her throat and strangling her.

With a burst of energy, the girl slammed the door with her fists.

"Let me out!" she yelled. "Let me go!"

Again, she banged on the door. This time, she heard a quiet sizzling noise as her fists coming into contact with the door. Looking up, Julia saw two scorch marks where her fists had hit the door.

Stunned, she stared at her hands. What had she done?

Slowly, the girl placed both her palms against the scorch marked-door. Breathing in, she let the rage in her fill her up. As she did, something sparked on her hand. Looking closer, the teen girl saw a tiny bolt of lightning twine itself around her index finger, then disappear.

Another mini lightning bolt appeared, and another. As Julia watched, she saw more lightning crawl from her hand, then slide on the metal door, wriggling outwards. They streamed to the sides, then disappeared through the miniscule cracks on either side.

Julia gulped. This was new.

She heard a sizzling sound, then jumped back. The metal door that she was leaning on fell outwards onto the ground, leaving her an empty doorframe and the view of the opposite wall.

Tentatively, the teen girl stepped out of her prison. Nothing happened. More confident, she stepped around the metal door, and looked around. She was in a long hallway with plain gray walls and a few doors on either side.

There was nobody to be seen.

* * *

Robin walked into the camera room to find Beast Boy, who was supposed to be watching the girl, asleep in his comfy swivel chair.

"Beast Boy!" the leader yelled, into his ear. "What are you doing?!"

The changeling woke with a yelp, then cowered as he saw the furious Boy Wonder standing over him.

"It was boring," the green-skinned boy replied, looking scared. "So I nodded off. Nothing happened."

They both looked at the screen. The girl was gone from the room, and the door was in the hallway, lying on its side. Robin glared at Beast Boy, who grinned sheepishly.

"Heh…"

Robin didn't even bother to continue yelling at Beast Boy. He took out his communicator and snapped it open smartly.

"Titans, attention: there's a prisoner, possibly dangerous, loose in the Tower. Find her, and contain her. Robin out."

Without another word to Beast Boy, the team leader dashed out of the room.

* * *

Julia snuck down the halls, carefully looking down each hall before she went down them. She didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean that they didn't see her. In a high-tech tower like this, there was bound to be some cameras around. It was likely that they already knew that she was free from her prison.

"Hey! Yo! Stop!"

The girl turned around to see Cyborg at the other end of the hall, sprinting towards her and ordering her to stop.

As if she would.

Julia turned and ran down the hall, determination lending her speed. Sprinting past countless doors, she heard Cyborg running after her, still shouting. His heavy footsteps reverberated underneath the girl's feet, drowning out her own heartbeat and filling her ears.

Julia dashed down the hall, then down another, until she came to an elevator. Panting, she opened it quickly, then frantically pushed the button to close the doors and descend to the ground floor.

Through the gap in the elevator doors, Julia could see Cyborg in the hall. He had paused, and had his sonic cannon aimed at her, his natural eye closed for accuracy.

Julia blanched. But before Cyborg could fire, the elevator doors closed, and the girl disappeared from view.

* * *

Cyborg sighed and lowered his sonic cannon, changing it back to his arm. He had had the chance to shoot the girl, but had hesitated. She looked terrified and trapped, like a deer in headlights.

He was getting way too soft. He just hoped that Robin wouldn't find out that he had let the prisoner get away.

* * *

Julia descended to the ground floor, then ran out of the elevator, down another hall. The place was like a maze, with confusing twists and turns.

Raven teleported through the ceiling and appeared right in front of Julia. Her eyes glowed white as her dark blue cloak billowed out behind her. Turning to run, Julia found that Starfire had flown to the end of the hallway, eyes glowing green and starbolts ready.

"_Do not move,_" Raven ordered flatly, raising her hands. "_Do not move at all._"

Julia looked between the empath and the alien. Raven created a black hand of power to grab the Asian girl, as Starfire readied her starbolts.

Unexpectedly, Julia turned and ran through a side door, just as Raven's 'hand' shot forward, and Starfire threw her starbolts. The two powers crashed, creating an explosion. The two Titans were thrown backwards, hitting the ground at the ends of the hallway.

Meanwhile, Julia ran through the door and found herself in the entrance hall to the Tower. She chanced a look back - nobody was following her. Then, she saw the doors burst open to reveal Robin.

Fear rose in Julia as she sprinted towards the exit. All of a sudden, the doors opened to reveal a giant green T-rex, which was Beast Boy. Julia simply ran between the T-rex's legs, ducking to avoid the thick tail. The dinosaur snarled and attempted to bite her, with the result of it falling on its side.

Robin growled under his breath in frustration, then jumped over the T-rex's tail. He sprinted after Julia, who ran down the island, dirt spraying beneath her feet.

Skidding to a halt, the Asian girl stopped at a small ledge adjacent to the water. In front of her was the Bay, the waters stretching out for hundreds of yards before coming to the city boardwalk.

"You there! Stop!" Robin shouted, running forward. He took out three explosive discs and flung them at Julia, who had turned around, deciding whether to swim or defend herself.

The Asian girl turned around just in time to be hit by the explosives' shock wave. There was a loud BOOM! and Julia was thrown up into the air, backward towards the water.

The girl let out a scream, which was cut off abruptly as she hit the water. She automatically tried to take in air, only to have water fill her nostrils. The water pressed at her from all sides, making her movements sluggish as she struggled to swim.

Finally, she stopped trying.

Julia slowly sank underwater, facing the surface. Her long black hair swirled around her pale face, like smoke. Staring at the surface, she watched as the faint light rippling above her grew dimmer by the second…


	4. Meet Aqualad

**A/N:** Thank you to fortunexcookie and NightRaven511 for their reviews (especially NightRaven511 for pointing out a mistake I made)!

I did notice, after writing this story a bit, that Julia's circumstance can be paralleled to Terra. However, you'll later see that any similarities that they have stops.

* * *

When the large explosion knocked the girl off the ledge, Robin cursed under his breath and dashed forward to see if she was all right. If something terrible had happened to her…it would be his fault. The youth had never killed anyone before, and wasn't about to.

Leaning forward, Robin squinted at the water, trying to see through the murky surface. All he saw, when he stood on the edge of the mini cliff, was the water lapping at the rocks. There was no sign of the girl anywhere.

But wait…

The Boy Wonder leaned forward, seeing a dark shape, streaking through the water at a fast pace. It was far too fast to make out the definite figure.

"Robin! Yo!"

The team leader turned to see the other Titans running or flying towards him from the Tower, coming to his aid.

Suddenly the dark figure from the water exploded from beneath the water and leapt onto the ledge, landing firmly. Water dripped down, puddling on the ground.

It was Aqualad. But he wasn't alone. He held the girl in his arms.

The Asian girl was soaking wet and unmoving, her eyes closed. Aqualad carefully put her on the ground, gently cradling her head with one hand.

"Aqualad," Robin began. He opened his mouth to say more, perhaps an explanation of what happened, or a question of how the other Titan had come, but his words died in his throat.

Ignoring this, Aqualad nodded to the Boy Wonder and other Titans, then knelt on the ground next to the girl. He put his cheek above her mouth to feel for any breath, his eyes searching for any sign of her chest rising if she breathed.

Robin knelt down on the girl's other side as the Titans clustered around them, watching, as Aqualad went through the CPR steps.

Finally Beast Boy had to ask. "Is she alive?"

Aqualad nodded while briskly pumping down on the girl's diaphragm. His motions were quick and decisive, as if he had performed his actions multiple times before.

"Yes. She has a weak pulse, though."

Lowering his head and pinching the girl's nose, the youth covered the girl's mouth with his own and breathed out.

* * *

Julia came back to consciousness coughing and spluttering. The first thing she saw was a good-looking boy whom she recognized as Aqualad of the Teen Titans East, kneeling right next to her.

The Asian girl could've sworn that he'd just given her mouth-to-mouth.

Then Julia's stomach lurched, and she felt the contents of her stomach rise. Sitting up and rolling to her knees, the teen girl threw up on the ground, her head down.

When she was done, Julia's throat burned, her throat was scratchy, and her eyes were watering - or maybe she was crying. She wasn't sure which. Everyone around her was silent, and had moved out of the way when she'd vomited to the side.

A firm hand was placed on Julia's back, and she looked up to see Aqualad kneeling by her side. He looked concerned.

"Are you all right?" he asked, frowning slightly. "You almost drowned…"

Julia nodded, which gave her a headache. Wincing, she braced herself on the ground with her hands and looked back down.

A hand came into Julia's sight, filled with clear, pure-looking water - Aqualad's. When Julia looked at him, he said, "If you want to clear your throat, here. Just cup your hands and I can fill them with water."

Without a word, Julia complied. She cupped her hands together and Aqualad held one of his own hands above hers. Instantly, pure water flowed from his hand to Julia's. The teen girl nodded her thanks, then sucked the water up, clearing her throat with the water, then spitting on the ground. The water was cool and fresh, with a natural taste to it. Julia refilled her hands of the water a few times, then finally drank some.

When she finished, the Asian girl cleared her throat and looked up at Aqualad, who was still watching her.

"Thanks," she stated, her voice coming out a little rough. She felt like she should've said more, but she didn't.

At her other side, Robin knelt down, a mixture of concern and embarrassment on his usually stoic face. He swallowed.

"So…I'm, uh, sorry. For almost drowning you." He choked out his words, as if forcing them to get past his pride. He muttered this in a low breath, as if to only keep it between the two of them. However, the others heard.

Aqualad did a double take.

"Hold it. _You're_ the one who threw her into the water?" the tall youth asked, looking surprised. The other Titans' expressions mirrored his, except for Raven, who didn't show her emotions.

Robin shook his head, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"I didn't throw her off," he objected. "I threw the exploding discs, and they…blasted her off, into the water."

Julia cleared her throat as the other Titans looked like they were about to make comments. The Asian girl was rapidly gaining back her irritation.

" 'Her' has a name, you know," she remarked, coldly. At this, Robin frowned, his apologetic attitude quickly dissipating. The other Titans, standing around them in a circle, stayed silent. They knew that it wasn't the time to intrude.

"What's your name, then?" Aqualad asked. He sat back on his heels, looking thoughtful.

"Julia," the Asian girl replied. She met Aqualad's eyes firmly. "I'm Julia."

Robin raised his eyebrow curiously.

"Last name?" he asked.

Julia just looked at him, her eyes cold.

"I'd rather not give it to you, thank you very much," she commented shortly.

"Dude, he'll find out eventually," Beast Boy stated, speaking up for the first time. When everyone looked at him, the changeling added, "Well, Robin _will_. You know him. He's, like, a professional hacker."

Julia seemed to pale, but that might have been because she was feeling weak.

"I think it's time to go to the Operations Room," Cyborg suggested, breaking the awkward silence. "We can sort things out there."

"Oh, yes!" Starfire exclaimed, her face brightening. "We must show our home to Julia!"

As Starfire pulled a shaky and protesting Julia along, while Cyborg and Beast Boy followed, Robin, Raven, and Aqualad hung back.

"What is it?" Aqualad asked, curiously.

Robin shrugged, his eyes on Julia's back.

"I'm not sure. But I don't know if we should show Julia the Tower, just yet. We don't know if she has any motives."

"I didn't sense any evil or betrayal in her," Raven commented flatly. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"What do you think, Aqualad?" Robin questioned.

The other youth shrugged as well, watching Julia as she slowly made her way into the Tower, half-dragged by Starfire

"I'm not sure." He looked down at Robin. "How did you meet her?"

The Boy Wonder looked grim as he began to make his way back to the Tower.

"It's a long story," he replied. "I'll tell you later."

* * *

**A/N:** By the way, I forgot to mention before that there is small hints of RobinxStarfire and BBxRaven. I would've liked to get more into them, but that's for another story.


	5. Meet Red X

**A/N:** Well, people asked for Red X, so here he is! I tried to get his laid back way of speaking, and his witty comments. I always found them amusing, compared to Robin's usually lame puns that he spouts at every villain.

* * *

In the Operations Room, Starfire gave Julia a blanket, then sat her on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand. As the other Titans came into the room, Julia looked around, her eyes avoiding the others but finding details of the room.

The Titans seated themselves on the sofas, seating themselves a small distance away from Julia. Robin sat down last, after giving a habitual quick sweep of the area.

"So, Aqualad." The Boy Wonder finally faced the guest. "What brings you here, in Jump City?"

Aqualad glanced at Julia before looking at the leader. Julia was sipping her hot cocoa, her eyes down. She had the look of someone who was listening hard, but pretending to be innocently engrossed in something else.

"Nothing bad," he replied. "It's just that the Titans East have decided that we need another person. Bumblebee insists that it be a girl, since our team is almost all guys."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow.

"Bumblebee thinks there's too much testosterone in there, huh?"

The telepathic boy nodded as some of the other Titans smiled.

"Exactly. So I was sent here to see if any of you know any local superheroes that can join my team."

The Titans looked at each other, frowning. Finally Robin shook his head dismissively.

"Sorry, Aqualad, but we don't know any other superheroes around here. The only people we see here are bad guys. Even if there were, they'd probably be busy organizing the Teen Titans North and South."

Aqualad nodded, resigned.

"All right. So what's the deal with, um, Julia?"

At this, Julia finally looked up from her mug, meeting Aqualad's eyes. Her gaze was slightly defiant, with a hint of challenge.

Robin cleared his throat a little.

"We…met Julia when we were on patrol yesterday," he replied slowly. "There was a freak thunderstorm with hail going on, and lightning. We scouted around, and saw Julia at the Jump City High School."

Aqualad nodded encouragingly.

"Go on," he said.

The Boy Wonder looked out of the large glass windows, towards Jump City.

"The glass windows in her classroom broke, from the wind. The storm was mainly centered on the school, on that room. When the glass shattered, Julia was the only one standing."

"So you just grabbed her?" Aqualad asked, frowning slightly. "Without proof?"

"No," Raven spoke up in her flat voice. "We had proof. I could sense that she was the one radiating the power."

"So Raven brought her up through the ceiling," Robin continued with the story. "And I told her to stop the storm."

Julia was looking back down at her mug again. That was a major underestimate. 'Told her' should've been 'yelled at her'. But she wisely continued to be silent.

"She…refused," the Boy Wonder went on, "So Raven projected her soul into her and stopped the storm. We took Julia back to the Tower for questioning."

"Is that what you call it?" Julia said suddenly. Her annoyance had flared again. "'Questioning'? Don't you mean that you tried killing me?"

"Dude, we weren't trying to kill you," Beastboy protested.

Julia rounded on him.

"And you think trying to bite me when you're a T-rex doesn't count as killing?" she demanded.

The changeling shut his mouth. Starfire clasped her hands, looking worried.

"Please, you must understand. We did not want you to get hurt-"

"'Get hurt'?!" Julia repeated heatedly, springing to her feet. She dropped her mug, which crashed to the floor and broke. The sound echoed in the silence. "You're saying that you weren't trying to hurt me when you took me from my own school, shoved a bo staff in my face, and took over my soul? When you locked me in a stupid cell, where anybody would go mad, then blasted me into-"

"Enough!"

Everyone looked at Raven, who had stood up. Her eyes were narrowed, and for the first time, she looked irritated.

"Do you know what happens when you get angry?" the empath demanded, in a harsh voice. She was glaring at Julia. "Look outside," Raven ordered. Everyone did so, except for Julia, who stared at her. Outside, dark clouds obscured the sun once more, bathing the city in darkness.

"When you're angry, the weather changes," Ravens continued sharply. "If you continue to act like that, you could accidentally hurt people."

"Oh, right," Julia spat. "Just like all of you were accidentally hurting me. God. You guys are so self-righteous, thinking that you can do whatever you want because you're the golden team, the heroes of the city. You catch supervillains trying to take over the city, and meanwhile, common muggings and gang wars still happen all over the city. Apparently, you're all too good to deal with something that small."

The Titans, who had started to look decidedly uncomfortable, didn't take their eyes from Julia. It was like her furious speech drew them in against their own will.

"Do you even care that other people are being victimized?" the girl snapped. "Or that other people have it so much worse than you? You're all criminals, for God's sakes! You're vigilantes, but since you lower the criminal count, you're overlooked. You don't care about the injustice of it all, but go along with it to suit yourselves. Meanwhile, innocent kids are getting beaten up by their parents, girls getting hit by their boyfriends, victims tormented by bullies day in and day out, unable to do a thing for fear of being punished, until it's so much that they can't stand it-"

Julia's words caught in her throat, and she suddenly sank back down onto her sofa, face buried in her hands. There was an unbearable silence, a vacuum of sound after the girl's deafening shouts.

Of course, nobody moved. The guys didn't know how to deal with girls breaking down, Starfire felt baffled by Julia's sudden mood change (they obviously didn't have that at Tameran), and Raven wasn't the comforting type.

Nobody seemed to notice that not a tear escaped from the Asian girl's hands.

Suddenly, the Tower alarms went off, red lights flashing and alarm blaring. Robin jumped up, looked at the wide screen, which had automatically shown a map of Jump City, complete with a blinking red dot.

"Titans, trouble." He looked at Julia, whose face was still buried in her hands. "Uh…Aqualad, stay here. Titans, go!"

His team dashed/flew out of the Operations Room, leaving Julia and a perplexed Aqualad. As soon as the Titans were gone, the alarm shut off abruptly. The only sound left was the sound of Julia's muffled sniffles.

Aqualad hesitated, then went over to Julia. He knelt by the side of her sofa, then cautiously touched her shoulder lightly.

"Julia?" he inquired, quietly. "You ok?"

Julia took a deep breath and looked at him, wiping her dry, clear eyes.

"Does it look like I am?" she replied. She sniffed, smiling a little. "I think I'm PMSing."

Aqualad nodded. What was he supposed to say to that? He was a guy - he hated feminine stuff, or even just the mention of it.

"You know, you really don't know how to deal with girls," a mechanical-sounding voice remarked.

Aqualad and Julia looked up sharply to the source of the voice. Standing in front of the wide screen (which had turned back to being a window), was a youth, complete with black costume and cape, decorated with red X's, and a white skull mask.

"Red X," Aqualad said, standing up and getting into a fighting position. Julia stayed sitting, her sharp eyes on the thief. "What do you want? The Titans don't have valuable items."

Red X shook his head pityingly.

"They do, but that's not the point. It's not an item I want," he said. "It's a person, water boy."

The Titan stared at him, his mind coming to the answer.

"You want-"

"-your little friend there," Red X finished, nodding. "Took you long enough." He raised his hand, and there was suddenly razor-sharp red X's in them. "So hand her over."

Aqualad narrowed his eyes. He didn't see Julia slowly stand up and back away.

"No," he replied. "I won't."

Red X sprang forward, throwing the red X's with alarming speed and accuracy. Aqualad dodged them all, then raised his hands. Water from the bay rose into view, then crashed through the windows. It formed into a spiral, then zoomed toward Red X, who did flips to avoid it.

"Julia!" Aqualad shouted, looking around for her. He spotted her running towards the Operation Room doors.

"So that's her name," Red X commented, shooting a red x from his palm. It stretched, hit Aqualad in the back, and pinned him to the ground. "Nice try, kid. You weren't fast enough."

He left Aqualad on the ground, growling in frustration and struggling to get up. Red X bounded over to Julia, who was just running through the doors.

"Hey, sweetie, wait for me." He threw another red x at her, which hit her in the back, sending an electrical shock through her, and knocking her out.

Red X grabbed Julia by the waist and slung her over his shoulder, where she lay there limply. The thief ran back to the windows. There, he turned to look at Aqualad, who was cursing under his breath.

"Catch you later, water boy. Don't forget to tell the Titans who made a false alarm and took your girl."

And with that parting shot, Red X leapt out of the window and out of sight.


	6. A Breakfast of Champions

**A/N:** So in this chapter, Red X's identity is revealed (well, my identity for him, anyway). I always thought of him as kinda the opposite of Robin in looks and opinions.

* * *

Julia woke up to a familiar room with purple decorations, sky blue walls, and simple furniture. The bed was a twin bed, covered in white sheets and pillows, and violet blankets.

A youth walked into the room, tall and lean. He had hazel eyes, straight dark brown hair cut short, tan skin, and a sharp-bladed nose.

"You're finally up," the guy remarked, opening the windows. "I didn't think that shocker was that strong."

The Asian girl got out of bed and helped opening the rest of the windows. "Don't fool yourself, Damien," she replied, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile. "It wasn't that strong. I was just out of it because of the whole thing with the Titans."

At the last window, she opened it, then glanced outside. She glimpsed a blond-haired youth in a leather jacket leaning against the lamppost below. Pushing away the curtains, Julia turned around to look at her companion, Damien.

"Raven took over my soul, you know."

The brown-haired youth turned to look at her, his eyes worried.

"She didn't see…anything?"

Julia shook her head, crossing over to a dresser and taking out a new set of clothes. She set them on the bed.

"No," the girl said. "Nothing about this. About the faking everything." She smiled. "You should've seen it. I faked a mental breakdown and everything." Shaking her head, she looked at the youth. "Leave so I can change?" she asked pointedly.

Damien grinned, going to the door.

"Only if you want me to," he replied. When Julia made as if to go after him, he laughed and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

The Asian girl sighed, changing into the same set of clothes, which were dark snug jeans, a wine colored formfitting shirt with a V-neck, and sneakers. Just as Julia was finishing combing her hair into a high ponytail, her door opened again, and Damien walked in again. Julia whirled around with a gasp.

"Damien! Why didn't you knock?"

The dark-haired boy grinned.

"I figured that you were done," he replied innocently. He wore faded jeans, sneakers, and a light brown polo shirt. "Roger wanted me to tell you that breakfast was ready, so hurry up."

Julia rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure my brother would love the opportunity to eat all the food," she muttered, and left the room, Damien following her. They walked down the narrow hall, which had three other doors, and to the end of the hall, where the kitchen and the living room were situated.

A youth about the same age was standing at the stove, tipping two fried eggs (sunny side up) onto a plate. He had wavy blond hair that was slightly long, tan skin, and high cheekbones. He was handsome, as was Damien, in a natural way.

Roger was Julia's 'brother'. He was the son of the Caucasian couple that had adopted Julia from when she was a baby, though the youth was slightly older than she was. The two of them were as close as siblings, despite the fact that they hadn't know each other for long. Julia had only known him for the first few years when she lived with her adopted family, and the past four years. Barely seven years in all.

"Breakfast's ready, whether or not you are," Roger remarked brightly, setting the plate on the counter, which separated the kitchen and the living room. The counter had three stools, on which the three teens sat on. In front of each teen were a plate of two eggs, a slice of bacon, and a piece of buttered toast. There was also a cup of milk at each plate.

"You really overdid it today, Rog," Damien commented, eating his toast in two bites. "What's the special occasion?"

Roger grinned, gulping down his milk. He set the cup back down on the counter, a little harder than necessary, and began eating his eggs.

"Well, I thought we'd celebrate what just happened," the blond boy replied, still grinning in smug satisfaction. "We totally confused the Titans." He paused and looked at Julia, who was eating more delicately than her companions. "What we did was, I went as Red X to the bank, and the Titans followed."

Julia choked on her toast. Damien patted her back, then left his hand there. The Asian girl shrugged it off, shooting him a look. Only then did she look at Roger, who had carefully pretended that he hadn't noticed Damien's action. After all, he was Julia's 'older brother', but Damien's best friend.

"What do you mean?" Julia asked. "Damien went as Red X-"

"-to the Tower," Roger completed, refilling his milk. "So the Titans will come back and water boy-"

"-Aqualad," Julia muttered.

"-will tell them that Red X abducted you," Roger finished. "They'll be confused, because they saw Roger as Red X at the bank." Done, he started eating his bacon.

"It was my idea," Damien said, raising his eyebrows. "In case you wanted to know."

The Asian girl smiled at him and Roger.

"Yes, good work, both of you. I'm impressed that you two could function without me."

The two boys snorted into their milk.

"So what happened?" Damien asked, as they all finished breakfast. "How did it all happen?"

Julia was silent for a moment, as she gathered the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Damien automatically cleaned up the kitchen, because Roger had cooked.

"Well?" Damien prodded, after a minute's silence. Julia glared at him.

"Ok, fine. I was at school-"

"No way," Roger mock-gasped, pretending to look shocked.

"-and I sort of lost control," the teen girl finished, more quietly.

The two boys just looked at her.

"Lost control of…your temper?" Damien asked, urging her to elaborate.

The Asian girl shook her head.

"No. Yes. Kinda." She took a deep breath. "I think I have powers. With the weather, or something."

There was a complete silence as this whole announcement sunk in.

"You have powers," Damien stated flatly. "With weather."

Julia bit her lip. She leaned against one kitchen counter, the cleaning done.

"It doesn't really matter," she said hurriedly. "I mean, I won't use it. I'll still do hand-to-hand combat, like we've been doing for years-"

"What do you mean, you won't use them?!" Roger interrupted loudly. "Of course you should! This is great!"

"It is?" Damien and Julia chorused. Roger nodded emphatically.

"Yeah! When you eventually master your powers, you can be an even better thief!"

The teen girl cleared her throat.

"Hey, Mr. This-is-great? I haven't started yet, remember? I'm starting soon."

Damien frowned.

"Wait. The Titans already know about you. What if they piece things together? They're supposed to think that you're being abducted."

Julia went into the living room (which consisted of a couch, a comfy seat, and one TV). The two other teens followed her.

"We need to plan things out," Julia said firmly. When Damien and Roger groaned, she went on, "There's more to consider. It's more risky. We definitely need a plan. This isn't-"

* * *

"Impossible," Robin growled, pacing in front of the large windows. All the Titans were gathered in the Operations Room, being silent as Robin ranted about their reports.

"Red X was at the bank, not here," the Boy Wonder went on, grinding his teeth. "So how could he abduct Julia while also stealing ten thousand dollar's worth of jewelry?"

"Dude, there could be two Red X's!" Beast Boy suggested, eyes wide. "Or maybe he has another evil twin!"

Everybody turned and glared at him. The changeling looked down. "Ok, yeah, that was stupid."

Raven spoke up.

"Maybe Beast Boy has a point. There probably isn't two Red X's. But there could be two of those suits."

"I didn't make two suits," Robin snapped, pacing again. "There isn't another one."

"But from what I heard of your reports, the Red X that you met didn't use the suit," Aqualad pointed out. "Which means-"

"Perhaps the Red X we have met was just a copy suit," Starfire finished excitedly. "And-"

"He was just the decoy," Robin completed. "Their real mission was to get Julia."

Cyborg shook his head in rueful admiration.

"Only Red X could have a decoy make money."

"But why would Red X want Julia?" Starfire asked, her large green eyes puzzled and her hands clasped as she hovered above the ground.

Robin shook his head. He looked through the glass windows to Jump City, its reflection shimmering in the water of the Bay.

"I don't kno-"

Out of the blue, the Tower's alarms went off. The room flashed red, and filled with blares. The Titans all looked at the wide screen, to the map. The red dot was blinking at one of the laboratories.

"Titans, go!"

* * *

**A/N:** Two guesses as to what's happening at the laboratory. I'm sure you can predict who it is.


	7. Meet Athene

**A/N:** Well, I'm a little impatient, so I'm posting a few more chapters today. In case anyone's on the edge of their seats and waiting for more - there's a lot more chapters to come. So don't worry.

* * *

The purple-and-black costumed girl was fixing a few stolen gadgets onto her costume (her belt and one of her wrist guards) when Cyborg's sonic cannon blasted the wall next to her - a warning shot.

"Whoever you are, put those devices back," Robin ordered, three exploding discs in his hand. "Now."

The pretty girl laughed. She wore a purple mask that outlined her matching violet eyes, and skintight clothes: a dark purple spaghetti strap tank top, a sleek pair of black pants, black boots, and metal arm and wrist guards with a metal belt. Her long black hair fluttered in the breeze.

"You know that's not possible," she replied, getting into a fighting stance. "When has a criminal actually done what you told them to do?"

"There's always a first time,' Robin replied, then threw his exploding discs. They blew up the area, clouding it in smoke. When the smoke cleared, the area was empty.

"Where-"

"Hey, Bird Boy! Up here!"

The Titans looked up to see the girl standing on the landing above, where there was a catwalk running around the length of the room, protected by a railing. The thief waved to them.

"Titans, go!"

To Robin's surprise, the girl didn't move as the Titans rushed forward. When Starfire threw starbolts as Cyborg shot his sonic cannon, the thief simply did back flips and dodged them easily.

"Azarath, Metrion, Xinthos!"

Raven levitated and threw a metal table at the girl, her eyes glowing white. The thief girl merely shot a purple laser from the stolen device on her glove, which shattered the table. Before the empath could react, the other girl shot another purple ray, which hit Raven, throwing her back.

The masked girl turned around just in time to be thrown backwards by Robin's bo staff. She jumped up as Robin ran forward, his weapon chopping down. The thief moved to the side, seized the bo end, and threw it, along with Robin, off of the catwalk.

Robin shot a grappling hook to the railing to avoid hitting the ground. But by the time he came back up to the landing, the girl was off and running.

A green hawk appeared in front of the thief - Beast Boy. He quickly changed into a green tiger, which snarled and prowled forward. The girl backed away slowly, her eyes looking for a way out.

Suddenly, the green tiger leapt forward, right at the girl, who rolled backwards onto her back. Throwing her legs and arms up (one of the tiger's claws an inch from her eye), she used Beast Boy's momentum to throw him behind her and into Robin. The Boy Wonder and the changeling crashed into each other, Beast Boy's head hitting the metal railing.

"Do not move."

The black haired thief turned around to see Starfire hovering in midair, a large green starbolt ready to shoot.

"I am asking you to please give the stolen objects to me."

The masked girl shook her head pityingly.

"You're too nice to be in this business," she remarked, then shot a purple laser at some pipes leaning against the wall, on the catwalk. The pipes fell and knocked Starfire out of the air and to the ground, while also trapping Cyborg below.

The thief felt a disc-shaped object between her shoulder blades. Robin had gotten to her.

"Drop the stolen lasers to the ground," the Boy Wonder said grimly. "Now."

The girl swiftly dropped to the ground. Crouching, she used one leg to swing around and knock the disc away from her opponent's hand. Springing to her feet, she used a metal crane hanging from the ceiling to soar over the Titans leader's head. Landing, the thief readied her laser at Robin, who had whirled around.

In retaliation, the Boy Wonder's hand shot out, parrying the girl's laser, and grasped the edge of the girl's mask.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his eyes going between each of the thief's, as if to find the answer there.

"If I wanted you to know that, would I be wearing a mask?" the girl countered. As Robin's eyes widened, her hand darted out and grabbed the edge of Robin's mask. They were in a stalemate.

"You find out who I am, and the whole criminal community finds out who you are," the girl told the Boy Wonder, who stared at her. "And I think your identity is a lot more important than mine, Bird Boy."

Robin's eyes narrowed.

"But you're forgetting one thing," he replied. "The last Titan."

A column of water slammed into the thief, who gasped as she was thrown back, then crashed into the wall, sliding to the bottom. Aqualad ran towards them, then came to stand next to Robin.

"Is she-"

A purple laser threw Robin back over the edge of the catwalk. As Aqualad jumped forward to throw a punch at the thief, the girl grabbed his wrist. She swung him around until she had him pinned against the wall, her laser gun pointed at him.

"You're cute," the teen girl remarked, smiling coyly. Aqualad's eyes widened slightly. Her voice sounded distantly familiar.

"But you're not as cute as Red X," the thief finished. Swiftly, she kissed Aqualad on the forehead, then shot him with the laser, knocking him out.

The girl took a running jump and leapt off the catwalk, landing on the ground below. She strolled over to Robin, who lay amid a pile of wrecked boxes, groaning. Crouching down, the thief brushed away a lock of the Boy Wonder's hair, smirking.

"You know, Bird Boy, you're not invincible. There had to be one girl thief that got past you. And made your team look stupid."

The thief turned around and leisurely sauntered away, out of the laboratory doors. Robin's eyes flickered open. He attempted to jump up and go after the girl, but fell down, because his shoelaces were tied together.

That was the last time that Robin wore shoelaces.

* * *

**A/N:** Gotta love the shoelaces part. I hope everyone liked Athene (especially her interaction with Robin) - she's definitely coming back.


	8. The Past

**A/N:** Thanks again for the reviews! I appreciate all reviews, tips, encouragement, or just comments on the story. Keep reading!

* * *

Julia arrived at the apartment safely, to find Damien and Roger waiting nervously for her. When she came in, unscathed and safe, they stood up from the couch with looks of relief.

"You made it," Roger said, hugging the teen girl. She hugged him back, grinning.

"Of course I did. What, did you think I'd fail after being taught by you two professional thieves?"

Damien hugged Julia, but for a little too long for the girl's taste. She pulled back, giving him a warning look. The youth just grinned at her.

"You flatter us," he replied. They all sat down, Julia taking off her mask. "So, did you meet the Titans?"

Julia smirked, crossing her legs.

"I sure did. It didn't take them very long to come."

Roger raised his eyebrows, his face expectant.

"So? Don't keep us waiting in suspense. We want to know what happened, with all the details."

The teen girl smiled, her triumph and thrill of a successful steal showing through.

"Well, I basically-"

* * *

"-kicked our butts," Robin snapped. He was pacing in front of the team again. You could practically see flames coming from his ears. He was angry - no, furious. He'd never been beaten so badly by an amateur.

"She - that thief - she kicked our butts, and it didn't even look like it was any effort," the Boy Wonder raged. He looked ready to kick something. Or someone.

The Titans were silent. When Robin was in one of his obsessive moods, it was best just to let him rage for a while, until he was calmer. Even Beast Boy didn't make a comment. That would be fatal.

Frustrated, Robin clenched his fists, then suddenly strode over to one of the computer consoles. He typed rapidly into the computer, and pulled open a new file for criminals.

"I'm starting a new data file," the Boy Wonder abruptly said, typing some more. "Did anybody catch the thief's name?"

There was silence behind him. Robin sighed, then went to the next line.

"I'd say she's about 14," he said aloud. "A teenager, definitely."

Aqualad frowned slightly.

"She's probably 16 or 17," he objected. "Not as young as 14."

"So from 14 to 17," Raven remarked before any arguments could rise.

Robin nodded, typing it in.

"Hair: black."

"Long and thick," Aqualad added. When everybody looked at him, he flushed and muttered something about differences and details.

"Eyes," Robin continued, ignoring the pause. When nobody spoke, he closed his own masked eyes to think. "I don't remember," he confessed finally.

"Violet."

It was Aqualad who said this, again. When there was another pause, he looked out of the windows. Robin typed that in.

"Body type: slim."

"She was a little petite," Raven added flatly.

"Willowy," Starfire said. "That is what you call it, no?"

"Powers or skills."

"Agility," Beast Boy said.

"Quick-thinking," Cyborg mused, "If that's a skill."

"She has that purple ray gun," Raven pointed out. "That counts."

"And hand to hand combat," Robin finished grimly. He went on to the next line. "Personality."

"Witty," Starfire commented.

The Boy Wonder knitted his brows.

"There's…more to that. Something that sums it up."

Robin nodded.

Everybody was silent. Either they knew the word and didn't want to say it, or they just didn't know the word. Finally, Aqualad had to say it.

"Flirtatious," he mumbled, flushing again. He'd been on the receiving end of it.

"Daring," Beast Boy went on.

"Carefree," Cyborg said.

Robin tried not to point out that the Titans seemed to be saying good things about the criminal. Thieves were supposed to be bad, after all. The Boy Wonder scowled.

"So who _is_ she?" he said in frustration. "She's like-"

All the Titans looked at him.

"-Red X," Aqualad completed, heavily. "She's like the female Red X. A really good thief, and with an audacious attitude to go with it." He paused. "I think she knows Red X."

"What makes you say that?" Cyborg asked.

"She mentioned him."

Robin raised his eyebrows.

"What did she say?" he demanded.

The Atlantean flushed as he replied, "She…said I was cute, but, um, not as cute as Red X."

Aqualad cleared his throat, embarrassed.

Out of respect for Aqualad, all the Titans didn't burst out laughing or even chuckle, as they wanted to. They averted their eyes from each other, trying hard not to smile.

Finally Robin cleared his throat, businesslike.

"So she knows Red X," he stated. "I thought as much. She used the same saying that Red X once used. Which either means that they talk about thefts with each other, or that they think alike. Both are problematic. If she's as good as Red X-"

"Dude, she seems to be as good as Red X," Beast Boy remarked. "Look how easily she kicked our butts."

Robin took a deep breath to retain his anger, then stood up decisively.

"I'm going to do some more research on all of this," he announced. "You guys be on the alert, and try to remember more stuff on this thief. You know where to find me."

The Boy Wonder left the room, his cape sweeping behind him. The rest of the Titans looked at each other, shrugged, then went to do their own activities.

* * *

Julia leaned on the metal railing of the small balcony outside her room. It connected to her room by two small glass doors, which were now open, letting the warm afternoon breeze flow into her room.

Glancing downwards, the girl watched as people went by. Like any other city, most people walked instead of driving. There were a few businessmen strolling down the sidewalk, talking softly as they swung leather briefcases casually by their sides. A hectic-looking mother was pushing a stroller, zooming past a curly golden-haired boy wearing a leather jacket, who was texting on his cell phone. Two joggers, listening to their iPods, ran steadily by.

What were the Teen Titans doing? Julia wondered, closing her eyes as a soft breeze blew by. It combed through her long black hair, causing her dark locks to ripple behind her.

They were probably recovering from the pride bashing that she'd given them. And the butt kicking. Julia smirked. They'd been beaten for the first time in a long time; it must be embarrassing for them. Especially Robin. She hadn't gotten over him blasting her into the water.

The Asian girl's mind drifted to when she and the Titans had met. When she had somehow lost control, because of what a girl had said, about her being alone…and a freak. The insult had stung her so badly because it was true.

Still unsettled by this, Julia shifted restlessly. Despite the fact that she wasn't literally alone - she did live with Roger and Damien, who were family and friends to her - the girl would sometimes feel that she was alone. As someone who wielded a power, she was an irregular among regulars.

Even without her powers, she was far more mature than people her own age, and took interest in different topics, rather than just clothes, money, and relationships. She had other interests, and other goals. It was no wonder, then, that she distanced herself from other teens.

And, of course, her isolation was only a continuation of her past.

Trying not to think about this, Julia exhaled loudly, frowning.

"What's up?"

Despite the fact that Damien's voice had suddenly come from behind her, without her even knowing that the youth had come over, Julia didn't even blink from surprise. Looking at the boy over her shoulder, she smiled ruefully at him.

"It's nothing - just some involuntary flashes of the past. That kind of thing."

Damien came to join the girl, resting his own elbows on the railing as he surveyed the city before him.

"Right. Which would explain why you've been sighing and acting all edgy for awhile here."

Glancing at her friend, Julia gave him a wry smile.

"Don't miss much, do you?" When Damien gave a modest shrug, she shook her head and looked back down at the street. "Well, you'd be all edgy too if you were remembering your messed-up parentage."

"Right." Not looking at his companion, Damien squinted at the Titans Tower across the bay. "The whole 'argument turning into an all-out house fire and running away' thing."

Julia, rolling her eyes, straightened from her position.

"It's not just that," she replied impatiently. "I'm over that. That was years ago. It's...more than that. It's the 'not letting me visit my parents until they're dead' thing." Unconsciously, the girl clenched the balcony railing with white knuckles.

"I mean," the thief continued, glaring at the nearest building, "How do you forgive something like that? Your whole ancestry and true family all but destroyed from you, without anything left. I couldn't even speak the _language_ to find out more. I was limited by my own upbringing, not to mention time and money. How do you get over that without consequences?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Damien seemed to think it over, silently contemplating it as he watched the cars go by on the street.

"At least they eventually let you visit," the boy replied finally. As Julia opened her mouth to give a retort, he went on. "They could've stopped you from going altogether. And if that had happened, you never would've met me in China."

Turning this over in her mind, Julia glanced at her friend.

"And I never would've learned to be a thief," she added thoughtfully.

"And you never would've learned what it was like to live on your own in the city," Damien supplied. Shifting his position, he watched as Julia visibly calmed down.

"You might regret how everything turned out," the boy remarked, "But I'm extremely thankful." Bending down, he kissed the girl's forehead lightly.

Surprised by this sudden affectionate comment and act, Julia smiled up at Damien. She was about to speak, when someone standing right outside the balcony cleared his throat. Startled, Julia and Damien turned quickly to see Roger learning against the frame of the balcony doors, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to pretend I never saw that," the youth remarked pointedly. "And I really hope I'm not going to see that again."

* * *

Thoughts raced through Aqualad's head as he dove deep from the bay to the ocean, his lean form cutting through the dark water. It was true that he could often be found swimming, since his home _was_ in the ocean. But this time, the youth had more on his mind.

Why was he still at the Titans Tower, instead of coming back to Titans East? The Titans West had already admitted that they didn't know any superheroes that could join Teen Titans East. So why was Aqualad still hanging around Jump City?

The new threat, the Atlantean decided, passing a sunken submarine. Jump City had a new thief who was a threat. A major threat. But the Titans West could handle the thief, right? They could track her down and arrest her, even without her secret identity. But they didn't even know her thief name…

The thief's secret identity: that was the problem. Aqualad slowed down to sit atop an underwater sand dune. He closed his eyes, the better to think.

That thief girl - she'd seemed so familiar, but not familiar at all, at the same time. There was something nagging at Aqualad's mind…

Her eyes. Aqualad frowned. The thief's eyes had been familiar to him. Who else did he know that had violet eyes? They were so rare.

Aqualad's eyes snapped open as realization hit him like a lightning strike. He knew who else had violet eyes like the thief: Julia.

But Julia couldn't be the mystery thief. She was completely different. She wasn't bold or flirtatious, as the thief girl had been. She was the opposite - shy and quiet. Plus, she was currently abducted by Red X, all because of Aqualad's fault (which gave him a guilty twinge).

She couldn't be the thief at the same time, the Atlantean thought, as he made his way back to the surface.

Right?

* * *

"So…" Roger said, his voice meaningful. "What happened? You know, before."

Julia, who was loading the dishes into the dishwasher after rinsing them, froze. So did Damien, who was wiping the counter at which Roger was sitting at. It was after dinner, which had been awkward. Roger had cooked the meal again, which meant that Julia and Damien were cleaning up.

"I thought you were pretending that never happened," Damien said finally. "Right?"

Roger sighed.

"I can't exactly ignore it," he replied. "If my best friend kisses my younger sister, albeit on the forehead, it's important." At Damien and Julia's looks, he shrugged. "So sue me for being a defensive older brother."

Sighing loudly, Julia turned back to the dishwasher as Damien shifted uncomfortably.

"It wasn't anything big, Roger, all right? Damien and I were just talking."

"About...?" Roger gestured with one hand to indicate that the girl was to go on.

"About my parents," Julia replied irritably, slamming a plate into the dishwasher. "About that night of the fire. You know how I accidentally started it, don't you? By my powers."

Her brother took a deep breath, looking down at the counter. Damien was looking between his best friend, and his other friend. The youth knew only the basics of what had happened.

"Yes, it was from your powers," Roger replied softly. "But it was an accident. You hadn't meant to. And they knew it."

The Asian girl snorted quietly in disbelief. They both knew who 'they' was.

"God. Them knowing who's to blame is the least of it. I'm not mad about that as much as them keeping the truth back until it was a little too late." Impatiently, the girl snatched up a dirty pot.

"You can't blame them for doing that," Roger told her urgently. "They were just trying to protect you."

Julia whirled around.

"'Protect me'?" she repeated sarcastically. "'Protect me'? From what - learning about my own family?"

Her brother shook his head. It was these times that he acted older, with authority, instead of as a friend.

"From yourself," he retorted. "Look how you reacted to that! You burned down the house and ran away, for god's sake!"

"I recall that nobody went to look," Julia replied coolly. "Why, I didn't even see you for another few years."

Roger rubbed his temples.

"You could've been anywhere," he explained in a weary voice. "But I eventually found you, didn't I?"

The Asian girl's lip curled uncharacteristically.

"Only after Damien called you and told you where we were." She looked at Damien, who was looking away.

"It was the best thing, Julia," Damien muttered, not meeting her eyes. "You were only 12 years old. I was 13. How long could we have lasted?"

Julia looked back at Roger.

"The point is, the damage is done. Your parents-" she purposely didn't say 'our parents' "-hate me. I hate them. We're even."

Damien suddenly noticed small lightning bolts creeping from Julia's hands, over the pot handle. As the Asian girl ranted, the lightning spread over the metal pot, and into it. There was the sound of quiet bubbling, which no one else seemed to notice.

"They successfully destroyed any chances of me returning to my real family," Julia went on angrily. "Or even of me returning to them! At least you have them - what does that leave _me_ with?"

"Julia-" Damien began to say, looking at the pot in alarm.

But before he could finish his sentence, there was the sound of louder bubbling. Suddenly the remnants of the dinner exploded from the pot, splattering over the kitchen and its occupants. Extremely messy.

For a long moment, nobody moved or said anything. There was only the sound of dripping as some leftover dinner plopped from the counter to the floor.

"Well," Damien said cheerfully, "This means that we have an excuse to fully clean the kitchen."

"No," Roger contradicted. "This means that somebody needs to teach Julia to control her powers. And I know exactly who those people will be."

* * *

"Hey, Robin."

The Boy Wonder turned to see Aqualad walking towards him, through the Operation Room doors.

"Aqualad. Up to some breakfast?"

The Atlantean nodded distractedly, glancing over at the kitchen to see the Titans eating their morning meal. Cyborg and Beast Boy were arguing over the best type of bacon (soy or all-meat), Starfire was trying to find a compromise, and Raven was sipping her herbal tea and watching everything with mild interest.

"Uh, I have to discuss something with you," Aqualad told Robin uncomfortably.

The team leader nodded, his eyebrows knitting in concern.

"Is this about what's happened recently?" he asked sharply.

Aqualad cleared his throat, nodded, then changed his mind.

"Yeah. I was wondering…do you mind if I stay a little longer with you guys?"

Robin looked surprised, but that might have been from the stray piece of soy bacon that flew past his head.

"Sure, no problem. You can stay as long as you want."

The Atlantean thanked him, then helped himself to breakfast, while mentally cursing himself. He'd been about to tell Robin about his connection between Julia and the thief. But he'd chickened out. Who was he trying to protect? Himself, or Julia?

Aqualad's thoughts were interrupted by yet another alarm going off in the Tower. Robin checked the computers quickly, then turned back to the team, looking grim.

"It's Red X."


	9. Rescue

**A/N:** By the way, take notice of all details. They might come in use later on.

* * *

Julia sat on a plain cot, in a concrete cell, with no doors or windows. She was bent over a brief letter from Damien, reading by the dim light from a dying flashlight.

_Julia,_

_I don't think I'll see you for awhile, maybe a couple of months. Even then, I might be under my mask and you under your own Titans one. So I wanted to say goodbye, and good luck._

_I have to say that I've never really encouraged you using your powers. I think it's better if a thief would use his (or her) own bodily talents to steal (you know what I mean). But you can't steal a thousand dollar's worth of xenothium if your powers are acting up at the same time. So I think you should take my advice, and only learn to control your powers, and nothing else. But hey, it's your powers. You can do whatever you want with them._

_I'll look after Roger, don't worry (and make sure he doesn't burn the house down with his cooking). We won't be able to contact you. I'll miss you the whole time. You know I will. Who else will I spar with, or steal things just for the fun of it and the angry look on her face?_

_D_

Julia read the paper twice, smiling at the last few lines of the letter. Then, she tore the letter into tiny pieces, so nobody else could read it. Just to make sure, she tore the remaining pieces into smaller ones.

The teen girl sighed, then looked at the tiny vial lying on the small table next to her. It was the liquid that would leave her drugged out for enough time.

Taking a deep breath (and feeling like Juliet taking her death potion), Julia drank the liquid, lay down on the cot, and immediately fell unconscious.

* * *

"Give it up, Red X," Robin ordered. "Drop the bag of tech."

The thief chuckled and flipped up to an overhead-ceiling beam, with speed and agility that few could compare to. The Titans watched him warily, ready to fight.

"Why don't you drop _your_ tech, Bird Boy?" Red X taunted back. "Just throw away that belt of yours. That's most of your skill down the drain."

With something like a snarl, Robin launched himself at the thief, completely forgetting his team, who followed him, backing him up. The two youths fought with hand to hand combat, equally matched in skill, energy, and motivation, their limbs a blur.

Robin threw a punch at Red X, who dodged it easily, grabbing the Boy Wonder's wrist and throwing him to the ground. Robin, however, rolled and sprang back up, ready.

Red X pulled out two metal red X's, wickedly sharp and sturdy. In response, Robin pulled out two of his own elongated birdarangs, sharp and long as knives. The two fighters circled each other warily, looking for an opening.

Starfire summoned glowing green starbolts to her hands, but Cyborg stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder warningly.

"Don't," the African American youth said, grimly. "You could accidentally hit Robin."

The alien princess bit her lip but dropped her hands, the starbolts fading from them.

"But this Red X may hurt Robin badly," she protested.

Beast Boy shook his head as he watched the fight.

"Dude, Robin'll be fine."

"He can take care of himself," Raven added flatly. "He has before, he can now."

Meanwhile, Red X took a swipe at Robin with one of the blades. As the Boy Wonder shielded himself with one of his own weapons, the thief brought his other knife in sideways. The Titan leader locked his birdarang with Red X's knives, and the two of them struggled against each other, trying to push the other down. They were face to face over their interlocked weapons.

"How does it feel, getting beaten by your own inventions?" Red X asked smugly.

Robin ignored this, though the remark hit him hard.

"Why did you kidnap Julia?" the Boy Wonder retorted, gritting his teeth as he tried to overpower his opponent.

"What, do you like her?" Red X asked sharply.

The hero grinned.

"No, but it sounds like you do."

He hooked one leg around one of Red X's legs and jerked. As the thief fell to the ground, the Boy Wonder quickly held the edge of his weapon against the thief's throat.

"Give me the stuff you stole, and tell me where Julia is," Robin ordered curtly.

Red X just chuckled, which only enraged Robin.

"You really do seem to have a thing for that girl," was his reply. "She's pretty, isn't she? And sharp."

The Boy Wonder's temper was fraying quickly.

"It looks bad if someone the Titans were housing was abducted by a thief," he answered shortly. "That's all." He tightened his grip on his birdarang. "Now tell me where she is, before your time runs out!"

The thief merely snorted in derision.

"You're not a killer, Bird Boy," he responded. "And speaking of time-" he nodded to the left, at a spot near Robin's right foot "-yours is running out, too."

Robin turned to see a red x device with a raised round middle, which was blinking red. Like an explosive.

The youth hurriedly kicked it away from him and the other Titans, and it exploded in the middle of the floor, creating a large scorchmark. As it did, the leader got an idea. He turned back to Red X, to see that the thief had rolled away, taking advantage of the distraction.

Suddenly, Red X was hit by a barrage of green starbolts. A few hit their mark, and the thief was thrown backwards. Before Red X could get up again, Robin jumped forward and threw a small device at him, which settled at the back of the thief's cape, unnoticed.

Red X jumped up and avoided the second barrage of starbolts, the green charging rhino, and the sonic stream, by doing back flips and rolls with alacrity. When Raven levitated threw some boxes at him, he jumped onto each one, like steps, until he was on the ceiling beams.

As the Titans made to attack Red X, Robin stopped them.

"Don't," he said shortly. "I'll handle this."

His team looked confused, then complied, backing up slightly to allow room for him.

Red X shook his head.

"You have way too much honor for your own good," he said, then threw down one of the x devices. It exploded and created a big cloud of smoke, which completely obscured the thief. When the smoke cleared, Red X was gone.

The Titans rounded on Robin.

"Dude, you just let him get away!" Beast Boy protested angrily.

Robin shook his head and opened his Titans communicator.

"I did it on purpose," the team leader explained. "I put a tracker on him. I sent Aqualad beforehand to follow his movements." Into the communicator, the Boy Wonder said, "Aqualad. I set a tracker on Red X. His signal should be on your communicator like everyone else's. Meet you outside the building."

As the Titans left the building, Robin at the front on his R-Cycle and leading the group, he whispered to himself, "I am a genius."

* * *

Bounding across the rooftops of Jump City to the specific building that he was suppose to go to, Red X allowed himself a smug smile. He knew Robin had gotten the idea and planted the tracker.

"I am a genius," he muttered.

* * *

The Titans stopped in front of a solid concrete building, one story high, with no visible doors or windows.

"Red X's signal is coming from in there," Robin announced, looking at his communicator.

"How did he get in there?" Cyborg wondered, eyeing the thick concrete walls.

"More importantly, is Julia in there?" Aqualad added. He told himself that he was motivated to rescue Julia because he'd been the one who had let her been kidnapped in the first place.

"Only one way to find out," Robin replied grimly. He nodded at Starfire and Raven. "We need a hole."

Obligingly, the two female Titans raised their hands. From Starfire's hands came a thick stream of green energy. Raven shot a flow of her own black power. Combined, the two powers outlined a semicircle on the concrete wall, over the ground. One giant pull from Cyborg, and the newly created 'door' crumbled outward from the building, making an empty space in the wall.

"His signal is moving again," Aqualad reported sharply. All the Titans looked at Robin.

"What do you want us to do?" Beast Boy asked.

The Boy Wonder thought quickly.

"Aqualad, you take care of whatever's in the room. The rest of us go after X. Call if you need backup."

With swiftness coming from experience, the Titans split up, the original Titans West pursuing Red X, as Aqualad entered through the hole in the concrete wall.

The tall youth crept forward cautiously, his hands ready in front of him. He picked his way through the rubble, thanking God that Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg had made the hole fall outward, and not blasted the wall apart.

The first thing that Aqualad saw was the cot, and the figure lying on it, still as a statue. Julia lay there, her violet eyes closed. Her long black hair was spread out on one side, like a dark fan, and her skin was pale.

Aqualad crossed the small space quickly and came to the cot, standing at Julia's side. He checked her pulse - she was only unconscious, not dead. The Atlantean placed a hand on Julia's shoulder gently. When she didn't wake up, he shook her shoulder a little. Still no response.

"Julia," Aqualad whispered. Then, louder, "Julia!"

The girl was still knocked out. Aqualad bent over and placed his cheek over the Asian girl's slightly parted mouth, and was relieved to feel soft air coming from her. So she was breathing, at least. But still unconscious.

Making up his mind, Aqualad slid his arms underneath Julia, and lifted her up gently in his arms. Carefully, he settled her closer to him, so she wouldn't be jostled, and turned to leave.

As he did, the youth noticed the small vial, empty, lying on the side table. Hesitating, he picked it up and pocketed it for later.


	10. The Next Morning

**A/N:** So yesterday, I bought the newest Teen Titans DVD - Season 5. The bad part is, I have to wait until the weekend to actually watch the episodes, because I promised one of my friends that I'd wait until she got back so that we could both see the episodes together. It's really tempting to just watch them anyway. So I guess I'll have to make myself busy with this and other stuff, instead.

* * *

Beeping. Steady beeping.

Julia matched the rhythm to her own heartbeat. A machine was monitoring her heart's pulse, and beeping. Probably showing a visual, too. So that meant that she was either in a hospital, or…

The girl opened her eyes and saw a white ceiling, with overhead fluorescent lights. Compact fluorescent lights, that was energy saving. Cyborg probably put them in.

There were muffled voices coming form behind the door to the infirmary. Julia strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"-followed him, but didn't get too far. We lost him again."

That was definitely Robin's voice. The next voice was Aqualad.

"What about the tracker?"

"He found it, and destroyed it. But we still found Julia. Lucky that Red X visited her after he escaped us that first time."

There was the sound of another door opened, then two pairs of footsteps. A door closed.

"Cyborg," Robin said. "I was just going to get you. Did you figure out what's keeping Julia asleep?"

"Well, yeah. I scanned that liquid that Aqualad got from the vial. It's a kind of medicine, in a way. Like a potion. Basically natural ingredients, mixed to make a liquid to knock someone out for hours at a time, depending on the amount taken."

"Thanks, Doctor Cyborg."

"It's not funny, Beast Boy," Robin said, a little sharply. "This is serious. Red X has been keeping Julia unconscious for awhile, then."

"But why would he want her in the first place?" Aqualad asked quietly, his voice barely audible. "Why is she so special to-"

"Brain activity," Cyborg interrupted. "She's awake. Beast Boy, get Raven and Starfire. They might want to come."

There was the sound of a door opening and closing, then footsteps receding. A minute later, the infirmary doors opened, and all the Titans trooped in. Somebody pushed a button so that Julia's cot tilted up a bit, so she could see everyone ranged around her in a semicircle.

"How're you feeling?" Aqualad asked Julia, sitting on a chair next to her. He didn't even look like he was asking just to be polite - he looked like he meant it, like he truly wanted to know how she was doing.

Julia smiled faintly.

"Do you really want to know the truth?" she replied frankly, if weakly.

It was all part show. She didn't feel that tired. But it didn't hurt for the Titans to think that she was out of commission. Better that they underestimate her and think that she was out of it. "I feel like crap," Julia said. "I usually don't use vulgar words, but that's the only one that fits perfectly."

This remark brought on some smiles from the Titans.

The Asian girl sighed and relaxed in her cot, closing her eyes. She wanted the Titans to think that she was completely lethargic and bone weary. It was more difficult that expected, since it didn't help that the Titans were all staring at her, waiting for her to do something.

"So why are you all here to see me?" she asked tiredly. "Just to see me wake up?" She heard Robin clear his throat. _Oh, boy,_ she thought. _Here it goes._

"Would you mind if we asked you some questions right now?" the Boy Wonder asked apprehensively.

_Should've seen this coming,_ Julia thought. Out loud, she said, "All right." She heard Robin exhale in relief, then take a deep breath.

"Ok. First of all…what happened when Red X kidnapped you? What do you remember?"

Julia shook her head, her eyes still closed.

"I don't really know. He first shocked me with some kind of stunning weapon. And then…" she frowned. "I remember vaguely waking up thirsty, drinking some water that I found on a table next to me, then…sleeping again." She opened her eyes again and looked at the ceiling. "Then waking up here."

The Titans exchanged glances. Julia's information confirmed what they already knew.

"Did you ever actually see Red X?" Robin inquired.

"No," Julia replied, meeting his eyes squarely. It wasn't a lie. She'd never seen Red X in action. She'd only seen Damien and Roger during her 'unconscious period'. "Not since he came to that room to capture me." She glanced at Aqualad, then looked back at Robin. "How long was I out? A few hours? Half a day?"

Robin looked at Aqualad, as if willing him to tell Julia.

"A day and a half," Aqualad said to Julia. "He kidnapped you yesterday morning. It's in the evening right now."

The Asian girl closed her eyes in pretend horror. It was really just to keep herself from looking at the Titans again. She felt like Raven was watching her carefully, to observe and see if she was lying or making up stories.

"Wow," was all she could say. The Titans waited. Finally the teen girl opened her eyes again. "Is there anything else? Or can I rest again?"

Shaking his head, Robin stood up. The Titans also rose from their seats. Beast Boy stifled a yawn of boredom.

"No, you can sleep," the Boy Wonder responded. "You're probably tired."

Julia smiled sardonically.

"Aren't you going to lock me up in another cell?" she asked sarcastically. "It's ironic that I was rescued from the kidnapper that kidnapped me from other kidnappers."

Beast Boy scratched his head, trying to figure that whole sentence out.

"We didn't-" Robin started to say, then stopped, remembering how he and the other Titans had fought to keep Julia in, and how she had nearly drowned because of him. "No. You can rest here." He walked out of the room, the rest of the Titans following, except for Aqualad, who stood next to Julia.

When Julia looked at him, the tall Atlantean said, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Red X from kidnapping you." He said it sincerely, and somehow Julia knew that he meant it.

The Asian girl smiled weakly.

"It's ok," she replied. After all, if he had stopped Red X, she'd never have the chance to kiss Aqualad, albeit on the forehead.

Aqualad nodded to Julia, then left the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

* * *

"So was she lying?" Robin asked.

He, Raven, and Aqualad were sitting at the table in the Operations Room, discussing their predicament.

Raven shook her head.

"No," she replied. "She wasn't directly lying."

"What do you mean?" Aqualad inquired, frowning slightly.

The empath took a sip of the herbal tea in her hand.

"I can tell, from looking at a person's mind on the finest level, if they're directly lying. But they can be telling a half truth, or be twisting the truth, and I wouldn't know."

Robin drummed his fingers on the table.

"But for our purposes, she's telling the truth," the Boy Wonder confirmed.

The cloaked girl nodded.

"Yes. Julia might've twisted the truth to save herself, I don't know. But we probably won't know." She paused. "I don't believe that she's a threat to us. As long as we keep her in the infirmary for now, I think we'll be safe."

"That brings us to the other problem," Aqualad said, speaking for the first time. "What are we going to do with her?"

Robin shrugged.

"I have no idea. She doesn't seem to have any family that we know of. But we don't know enough about her. We might have to question her again, just to be sure about everything." He stood up. "We should just leave her in the infirmary for tonight. Tomorrow, we can decide what we should do about her."


	11. Interrogation

**A/N:** You know, I always imagined Beast Boy to be the one to wake everyone up with his cheerful, loud voice over the intercom system. Although he would probably prefer to just sleep in, and let Robin wake everyone up. Enjoy the story!

* * *

Julia slept lightly through the night. Near midnight (according to her watch), she woke up. Something was bothering her. Sitting up, the teen girl scanned the room with her eyes. Finally she realized what was wrong.

The thief girl swung her legs over the side of the cot and rested her feet on the ground. Standing, she noiselessly strode over to one side of the room, where the entire wall was made of glass windows. The windows were shut tightly, letting no air in and no air out.

Quietly, Julia unlatched the windows and opened them. A breath of fresh air played across her face, blowing her hair gently away, as moonlight spilled into the room and over the Asian girl. Taking a deep breath, the teen girl felt new energy pulse through her.

Turning, the girl gracefully walked over to the door to the infirmary. Maybe she could take a walk, or at least get something to eat. She pushed the button next to the door, the one that she'd seen the other Titans push to open the door.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, Julia pushed the button a second time, then a third. The door remained stubbornly closed.

Gritting her teeth, the teen felt anger boil up inside her. Of course the Titans would lock her door so she couldn't get out. They didn't need to put her in a cell when a locked-up infirmary would do the same thing.

A hard gust of wind rushed through the windows and blew through the room, rattling a few loose pieces of equipment and scattering a few random papers. Wincing from the noise, Julia went back to her cot quickly and got into bed, in case any of the Titans came to investigate.

Sure enough, the teen girl heard the slight squeak of the camera in a corner near the ceiling, turning to look around the room. Julia remained still, breathing lightly as though sleeping, her eyes closed and calm.

A second later, the camera stopped moving. Julia continued to pretend to be asleep, until she genuinely did doze off.

* * *

"Rise and shine, everybody! Get to the kitchen right now for your non-meat breakfast! That includes you, Robin! Get out of the gym and into the Ops. Room!"

Julia jerked awake and sat up from the sound of Beast Boy's voice ringing throughout the Tower by the intercom. When the changeling stopped, and everything fell silent once more, the Asian girl sank back into her cot, her heart calming down again.

Last night had given her hardly any sleep. Even after she had opened the window, she had felt contained and uncomfortable, tossing and turning fretfully. At least she felt more energized than the day before.

The infirmary door sliding open startled Julia from her uneasy thoughts. She sat up quickly and watched as Robin, Raven, and Aqualad entered the infirmary. The three of them were probably the most important of the six Titans in the Tower at the moment. Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were not present.

"We need to ask a few more questions," Robin said, before Julia could ask why they were there. "But we're going to do it in the Interrogation Room."

"And what about breakfast?" Julia asked, her heart beating rapidly at the thought of being questioned in the Interrogation Room. She'd have to be more careful when she lied. "Or are you going to starve me?"

They stood around her, Robin in front, Raven and Aqualad on her sides. Aqualad looked a little apologetic, as if he was unwilling to carry out their plan.

"We can give you breakfast afterwards," Aqualad reassured her.

"This first," Robin added firmly. "Just follow me."

With Aqualad's hand on her elbow, Julia rose from her cot - as if she needed help getting up! - and walked behind Robin, who opened the infirmary door. Outside was a long hallway, plain and serious looking.

With Robin in front and leading the way, Aqualad at her elbow, and Raven trailing silently behind, Julia felt like she was being escorted to the gallows. They went down the long hall, then stopped at a door to the left. It opened, revealing a high tech room. Julia was led through the small area, to the Interrogation Room.

The Interrogation Room was black, with one steel table that included handcuffs, one steel chair, and a bright light at the top. There was a two-way mirror on the wall that was dividing the high tech room from the Interrogation Room, and a small water sprinkler on the ceiling.

Aqualad and Raven waited in the high tech room adjacent to the Interrogation Room, while Robin and Julia stayed in the room itself. Graciously, Robin did not handcuff Julia to the steel table, but instead let her sit on the uncomfortable metal chair. He himself stood on the other side of the steel table, facing her directly as Raven and Aqualad looked on from the other side of the two-way mirror.

Julia sat as comfortably as she could and braced herself. She would have to half-lie more convincingly this time. She could already feel her body shaking slightly from nervousness.

Robin folded his hands behind his back and looked directly at Julia. His mask stopped his eyes from meeting hers, but Julia felt like his eyes were on hers. He held his communicator in one hand. Julia realized that Raven and Aqualad were each holding theirs. Was it a way to tell Robin if she was lying? Most likely.

"Julia. Is that your name?"

An easy one.

"Yes."

The Boy Wonder paused.

"Do you have any family left alive?"

A harder one. To Julia, her adopted brother, Roger, was like family to her. But technically, he wasn't. Technically, she had no family left alive. A half-lie, then.

"No."

Robin waited a longer moment, as if to make sure Raven or Aqualad wouldn't change their mind and send him a signal to say that Julia was lying.

"All right. What's your life like outside of here? In Jump City?"

This was more of an explanation. Well, Julia could tell the truth, but omit important details.

"I go to a high school during the school year. During the summer, I work for money."

"Where do you live?"

There was a flash of annoyance in Julia's eyes - she let it show.

"That's private," she replied shortly. "It's not safe to give out information like that."

In response, Robin put his hands on the table and leaned forward. His face was hard.

"Let's just say that it's important to the safety of the Teen Titans." His voice was steely.

There was a long pause as Julia thought this over. She didn't really have any choice. But she didn't have to tell the exact address.

"I live in an apartment in Jump City."

She hoped that they wouldn't ask for the exact address. If they did, she would have to tell the truth, knowing that a lie would show up in her mind, and Raven would know. And if she told the truth, they could find Damien and Roger.

Thankfully, Robin didn't press the matter. He simply took his hands off the table and started pacing the area, looking at her carefully whenever she answered his questions.

"How old are you?"

This answer didn't matter.

"Sixteen."

"What's your last name?"

A slight problem. Though she could use another half-lie for this one…

"Chang."

It was her Asian last name, the one that would be almost impossible to trace. It was her true birth last name, but in all legal paperwork, her last name was Keating, which was her adoptive parents' last name. The one she had adopted.

"Why are you here?"

This question was odd. Julia leaned forward and met Robin's masked eyes.

"You tell me. You're the one holding me here. Why don't you just let me go back home?"

This stumped the Boy Wonder for a moment. Then he quickly gathered his wits again.

"Your powers. They're uncontrollable. They're a danger to yourself, and especially to other people." He put his hands on the table again, and leaned forward. "We saw how you made that glass shatter in the school. How you made the weather dangerous. And the mess you made last night, when the wind came in."

Julia clenched her fists, which, like her arms, were pressed to her sides in tension.

"What are you going to do about it?" she challenged. "Suck my powers from me?"

"No."

That was Raven's voice, coming into the room by the intercom. The door connecting the high tech room to the Interrogation room slid open, and Raven and Aqualad stepped into the room. Raven met Julia's eyes. Both of their eyes were violet, Raven's almost black, Julia's lighter.

"No, we're not going to take your powers. We're going to teach you to control them."

Robin turned around quickly to stare at Raven. He seemed as surprised as Julia pretended to be. Which was very surprised.

"What? We're going to keep her here and train her to fight?"

"Not fight, just control her powers," Raven contradicted him firmly. "Until she's safe to herself and others."

"I think Raven's right," Aqualad said. "It's the best idea."

"But-"

"It's decided," Raven interrupted Robin. "We outvote you. And you know it's the best way."

The empath turned to Julia, who was staring at her.

"You don't have anyone to return home to, do you?" she asked. "No one knows you're missing, do they?"

Julia lowered her eyes, on the pretense of looking dejected. She was really avoiding Raven's eye, because she knew that she would have to lie. Of course people knew she was missing - Damien and Roger.

"No," she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness. "No one knows."

Robin seemed to recover from this decision-making. He grudgingly accepted the plan.

"All right. Since you'll be staying here for awhile, you'll need somewhere else to stay other than the infirmary. You'll get the extra room." He glanced at Raven and Aqualad. "We'll be watching to make sure you're not betraying us, or selling our secrets. If we find that you are divulging information to an outside source…you'll be very sorry."

The Asian girl didn't doubt Robin's word. She knew, from the tabs that she and Damien took on the doings of the Teen Titans, that the Titans had been deceived by someone close to them, a spy in their midst, who brought them down temporarily from the inside.

The Teen Titans wouldn't let that happen again.

"We won't be bringing you on missions," Robin added. "You'll be locked in your room, probably. That, and the bathroom, will be the only places without cameras. But there are sensors that can detect if you're communicating with anybody by electrical device."

Wow, Julia thought, impressed. Robin thought about all of these precautions pretty quickly. He probably doesn't even have the sensors installed yet. He just made that up on the spot.

"Do you understand?" The Boy Wonder demanded, his voice hard.

Julia looked up at him. She didn't even plan to deceive them in any way. That would be an easy promise. Her plan wasn't to destroy them, just learn to control her powers. And her plan was going perfectly.

"Yes."

She was in.

* * *

"Here."

Aqualad handed Julia a tray, loaded with a plate of eggs, sausage, and toast, a glass of milk, and a slice of orange. There were also utensils and a napkin.

"Thanks," Julia stated, then dug into her food. She and Aqualad were still in the Interrogation Room, since Robin had ordered her to stay there while Raven readied the extra room. Although the Boy Wonder hadn't said it, he was probably having Cyborg install electric device sensors in her new room and the bathroom.

When she was finished, Aqualad put the tray to the side. While Julia had been eating, he'd been politely looking around the room, as if there were something interesting there. Now he faced the girl seriously.

"Julia. I need to ask you about something."

The Asian girl folded her hands on the table, meeting Aqualad's eyes squarely.

"Ok."

The Atlantean looked uncomfortable.

"I have a - a hunch, and I'm not completely sure about it." He looked away, then back at Julia again, seeming to switch tactics. "Purple eyes are very rare, aren't they?"

Julia stared at him. She could see where he was going, a little.

"Yes…" she said slowly. "They are."

"And you happen to have purple eyes," Aqualad continued. "And…someone else the Titans have met has had purple eyes."

This wasn't new to her. Blackfire, Starfire's sister, had purple eyes, and had met the Titans once before. But Julia knew what Aqualad meant. She let him go on.

"While you were abducted, the Titans fought a thief, a girl, with violet eyes, and long black hair like you. I thought-"

"-that she was me?" Julia finished, smiling slightly.

Aqualad looked taken aback. He fumbled for his words.

"Well, no, I mean - I kind of - I didn't-"

The teen girl only chuckled softly.

"Aqualad, anyone can appear to have purple eyes by getting the right contacts. And people dye their hair black, or get extensions. It's easy to create a new look like that. And like you said, I was abducted during that time. I probably wasn't even conscious at that moment."

The tall youth looked embarrassed. He looked away, flushing.

"Well, it was worth a try," he muttered. "Besides, it was only a hunch, you know."

"Did you tell anyone?" Julia asked casually. If he told Robin, she would have to be more persuasive with her lies. Robin would be harder to fool.

But to her relief, Aqualad shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I wasn't sure, so I didn't tell anyone, in case-"

"-in case you were wrong?" Julia completed gently. "Yes, I see what you mean." She smiled at him kindly. "You were doing what you thought was right. I'm not offended," she added, with a little laugh. "Like Robin said, it's all for the safety of the Teen Titans."

Right on cue, Aqualad's Titans communicator flashed red a couple of times, a signal to him from somebody else with a communicator. The youth glanced at it, then stood up, holding the tray.

"I can show you your room now," he offered. "Well, I can give you a brief tour. Robin probably wouldn't approve," he commented off-handedly, "but if you're to stay here for awhile, you need to know your way around, or you'll get lost."

Julia also stood up, pushing her chair back under the steel table. As she followed Aqualad out of the Interrogation Room, she hoped that she would never be in that room ever again.

* * *

Aqualad showed Julia around the Tower, briefly giving her some information on the basic parts: the basement, where nobody ever went; the roof, which was a nice place for some quiet time; the Operation Room, where everybody hung out, and which included the kitchen and TV; and the bathroom, which everybody somehow shared.

Lastly, the youth brought Julia to her new room, which was plain white, with a comfortable bed with white sheets, a desk and chair, and a walk-in closet. It was overall plain, with sparse furniture, and it seemed like it had covered something else up.

One of Julia's first steps to moving in was to get some clothes. Since the Titans didn't trust her roaming Jump City to buy her own clothes, they brought her a big catalogue of clothes from a department store, and she circled the ones that she wanted, in the right size. Then, that afternoon, Starfire happily went and bought those clothes, bringing them back to Julia.

The other step to moving in was to meet everybody personally. Julia went into the Operations Room after putting away her clothes, and greeted each Titan in their comfortable environments.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were first. Julia waited patiently until their car racing video game was finished, then introduced herself. The two youths shook her hand formally, told her their names, and went back to playing their game.

Next was Starfire. The alien was in an overly happy mood after coming back from shopping, and was cooking some alien dish. Pausing in her cooking, the Tameranian swapped introductions cheerfully, gave Julia a hug, then went back to her cooking.

Julia didn't even bother with Raven and Robin. They already knew her name, of course, and she knew theirs. They were more solitary, and harder to make a conversation with. Of course, Robin could easily start talking with Starfire, but that was different. And Raven was usually a loner.

Aqualad didn't need an introduction, either. He and Julia quickly became friends while the youth was giving Julia a tour around the Tower. Their personalities seemed to complement each other, giving them a comfortable atmosphere.


	12. Regrets and Fears

**A/N:** If the story seems to be going a bit slow, don't worry - it picks up soon. And there's an action (fight) scene coming up soon. Those are my specialties. I just find it interesting to have to write a fight going on, with all the techniques and blocks and attacks and everything. Does that make me sound crazy?

* * *

A week passed by with no emergencies in Jump City, which was a welcome relief to the Titans. Julia slowly eased herself in, becoming more comfortable around the Tower as the Titans became more accustomed to her eating at the kitchen, or reading a book in the Operations Room.

Robin, however, was harder to get to know. Yes, he occasionally talked to her about the news outside of the Tower, like issues in the city, country, or around the globe. They were both up-to-date with the goings of the modern and changing world outside of fighting crime. But besides that, they had nothing else to share.

And Aqualad never mentioned his hunch about Julia to anyone. He never even spoke about it again.

Raven was the one who taught Julia to control her powers. They first started the lessons a couple of days after Julia got her new room. To start off with, Raven instructed Julia in meditating.

"It's to clear your mind, and get a focus on what you're doing," the empath stated flatly, before teaching Julia how to meditate. They worked on controlled breathing, emptying their thoughts, and focusing on one thing.

To Raven's slight surprise, Julia learned how to meditate pretty quickly, though using meditating to control her powers was harder than using meditation to control her thoughts and focus, the empath reminded her.

While Julia was learned to control her powers, and had not yet mastered it, small accidents happened around the Tower because of her wild ability. If she felt emotional enough, wind or air in a room would blow around forcefully, or the weather outside would change. But as Aqualad reminded everybody after these mishaps, this was why Julia was at the Tower in the first place.

* * *

Then, a week after Raven started teaching Julia to control her powers using meditation, the empath announced that Julia would be rising to the next level, in which she would apply her lessons to her powers. That is, start actually working with her powers.

The Titans and Julia were all sitting in the Operations Room when Raven made the announcement, and the general response to this was indifference. This bit of news was either good or bad - good because it would further help in Julia's progress to controlling her powers and stopping any accidents, bad because it might create some bigger accidents than before.

However, Aqualad noticed that Julia turned a shade paler when Raven announced the information on her lessons. The Asian girl, who had been eating her pizza steadily, looked down and pushed away her plate. A minute later, she excused herself and left the room.

All of this went unobserved by the Titans, except for Aqualad.

Standing up and also leaving the rest of his dinner untouched, the Atlantean excused himself and exited the Operations Room. He knew where Julia would go.

* * *

"Hey."

Julia looked up from her position on the roof. She was sitting down, a foot away from the very edge, her arms wrapped around her knees, which were pulled against her chest.

Aqualad, who had just opened the roof door, walked over to her and copied her position.

"Hey," Julia replied, smiling weakly. The sun had already set, and the portion of the sky that was above the ocean was dark and scattered with bright stars, in contrast to the lit up sky above the city, where the stars were outshone by the city lights.

"How're you doing?" Aqualad asked, after a moment of staring out toward the western horizon, as the other teen was doing.

Raising her eyebrows mildly and trying to look like her normal self, Julia said, "Fine. Just fine."

This was a bit of a stretch to Aqualad. The youth looked at her.

"Are you sure? You didn't look 'fine' at the end of dinner. You looked-" he searched for the right word "-worried. "

Clearing her throat, Julia shrugged. She fiddled with the end of her braid.

"It wasn't really anything," she said, brushing it off lightly. "My stomach-"

"-decided to act up once Raven had made the announcement about your lessons?" Aqualad finished dryly. "Yeah, I can see that. You went pale and everything."

Julia smiled a little and let her braid drop, swinging at her side.

"Observant, I see," she remarked, just as wryly.

"I try."

This time, Julia gave a small chuckle. Then she fell silent. For a long moment, she didn't say anything. Then she said, "I _am_ a little worried. About my powers."

Aqualad continued to watch her closely. His eyebrows knitted.

"You're afraid of them," he stated. When Julia looked at him sharply, he continued, "You can kind of conclude that, after seeing how you became stressed at that announcement, and how you're always upset whenever your powers go awry."

Julia turned her eyes, tinged with sadness, back to the dark horizon.

"I guess you could say that," she said softly. She gave a lengthy sigh that seemed to stretch on. After a pause, she added, "I think anybody would be afraid of their powers if they couldn't exactly control them."

"And if they saw what they could really do with them?" Aqualad questioned. "The destruction?"

Now Julia looked guarded.

"Maybe," she said carefully. She chose her words cautiously. "What makes you say that?"

The Atlantean shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing. Well, there was a girl, a Titan, who was like that. Just like that."

Julia's voice was casual.

"And what happened to her?"

"She ended up betraying the Titans, finding the errors in her ways, and then dying trying to save the city."

The Asian girl inhaled sharply, glancing at her companion.

"All that because she couldn't control her powers?" she asked. "And she was afraid of her powers?"

Aqualad nodded.

"Yeah. But the thing that really made her afraid of her powers…was what she'd accidentally done with them before."

He looked at Julia, who quickly looked away. "Julia, it's obvious. It's natural for that kind of thing to happen. What happened, that made you afraid of your powers? You shouldn't be afraid of them."

The teen girl put her chin on her knees, looking down. She sighed again, that long sigh that seemed to go on for a long time. The one that Aqualad was starting to associate with her kind of depression.

"There was an accident," Julia said abruptly. Her voice was quiet. "Involving a fire. It was started by me, although I didn't know how back then. Everybody just knew that I started it, however accidentally. And the fire threatened lives. All because of me."

She stopped and kept her mouth firmly shut, as though she didn't want to say anything else. Aqualad looked at her sympathetically, then moved over to put one arm around her shoulders. Julia leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Don't think about the past, Julia," Aqualad said in a low voice. "Regrets don't help anything. Just learn from mistakes, and look to the future. Move on."

They were silent for a moment. Then Julia sighed, but it was more of a short, regretful sigh.

"I guess you're right," she mused. She settled herself more comfortably against Aqualad's side. After a moment, she added, "I'm glad you're my friend, Aqualad."

"Yeah." Aqualad stared out to the ocean, his eyes troubled. "Me too."


	13. Power Practice

**A/N:** Everyone's welcome to send in reviews, by the way. Actually, I'd really appreciate them. This is the first time I've put up one of my stories on the internet for practically the whole world to see, and I'd like to know people's reactions so I can edit and change the story. That aside, have fun reading!

* * *

"All right. Breathe by counts. Focus. Clear your mind. Just like when we're meditating."

Julia did as Raven ordered, inhaling and exhaling as she had learned. She and the empath were sitting cross-legged in the middle of the roof, across from each other with their eyes closed. The early morning sky shone warmly on them, and a fresh sea breeze lazily wafted above.

But even as she tried to clear her mind, Julia couldn't. Her heart was thumping hard against her ribs, causing her mind to remain unfocused and wild with thoughts of trepidation. Or maybe it was the other way around, and her apprehensive mind was causing her heart to beat faster. Whichever it was, the Asian girl couldn't concentrate.

"You're not clearing your mind."

Raven's voice cut through Julia's thoughts, and the black-haired girl opened her eyes to see the empath glaring at her.

"What?"

"You're not clearing your mind," Raven repeated curtly. "It's cluttered up with thoughts and worries. Focus and concentrate on this. You can't control your powers if your mind is elsewhere."

Biting her lip, Julia nodded miserably. She didn't say anything about her fears, but instead closed her eyes and tried again. This time she willed herself to calm down and focus on meditating. One step at a time.

"Good," Raven said quietly. She, unlike Julia, was hovering slightly above the roof. "Now, find the core of your power within yourself. You should be able to recognize it as the sensation you get whenever you're using your powers."

Easy as this seemed, Julia found it difficult. Being afraid of her powers, she disliked the sense of it inside her.

You have to feel it again to control it, she told herself firmly.

With that in mind, she searched for the feeling that she got whenever an accident happened, one that was caused by her powers. The one that she felt whenever a gust of wind knocked over a lamp in the Operations Room, or when a storm created by her appeared. Or when a single lightning bolt was shot from her hand, by accident, causing a fire.

At this thought, Julia felt her powers stir from her emotion of fear. But instead of letting it control her and go wild again, she memorized the feeling of it, and went after the core of the feeling.

To the Asian girl, it felt like a dazzling ball of lightning immersed in clouds. It wasn't something that she could see, but felt. Loose bolts of lightning strayed from the main center of the sphere of her power. They were sparking, disorderly, and uncontrolled.

"You found it," Raven said in quiet approval. "Now, focus only on the core of your powers. Breathe, focus, concentrate. Apply your meditation skills to compressing your power, and condensing it all into one single sphere, with no loose ends. It will be hard, but that's basically how you control your powers."

Surprised, Julia opened her eyes and stared at Raven.

"That's it?" she asked, amazed. "That all I have to do to control my powers?"

The empath opened her eyes and looked back at her.

"Yes. But it's a lot harder than you think. Now that you know where to go, you have to practice on connecting to your power more quickly, in an instant. Then you have to practice suppressing any loose ends of power, or surges of emotion-motivated powers."

Julia waved this away with a hand.

"Yes, but other than that?"

The way Julia seemed to think that this was an easy thing to do seemed to annoy Raven. She fixed the other girl with a hard look.

"Easier said than done," she stated firmly. "It will take you a long time to compress all your powers together, and then you have to practice so that it takes you only a second to do that. That's besides the fact that, in the end, you'll have to be able to control your powers constantly, even with your strong emotions."

Despite Raven's forewarnings, Julia felt elated. Controlling her powers wasn't as hard as she'd thought it would be. And she wouldn't need Raven to constantly teach her. If she learned how to compress her powers, all she needed to do was practice, and without a teacher. Which meant that she could leave Titans Tower sooner than she'd thought.

"Practicing will take you a long time," Raven interrupted her thoughts. "And through everything, I still have to teach you every small step and detail."

Julia's bubble of happiness went out.

"Why?" she asked, irritably. "Once I know the basics, and I just have to practice-"

"I need to always be near you when you practice," Raven cut in flatly. "To prevent any side effects in case something goes wrong. I have to be at least in the same building. You can practice in the Tower if I am there. Otherwise, no."

This was definitely not what Julia wanted to hear. She clenched her jaw, then loosened it.

"How long do you think it'll take before I can fully control my powers?" she asked, her voice determinedly light. "A month?"

Raven's eyebrows went up fractionally.

"A few months, at least," the empath replied impassively. "Unless you show an amazing aptitude for this, although I doubt it. Not the way you're going right now."

Feeling frustrated, Julia sighed and looked away.

"Fine," she stated tersely. "What do I have to do first?"

After a short pause of meeting Julia's eyes, Raven closed her own eyes.

"All right. Practice on finding your power, but quickly. You can't afford to fumble around when your power goes wild."

They practiced for another half-hour, until Julia could find her core of power immediately, without thinking or searching. When that was accomplished, Raven landed back on the ground. She and Julia opened their eyes.

"We're done for today. We'll meet again the day after tomorrow. And the same thing with meditating - practice tomorrow, and I'll see how you've progressed the day after that."

Without another word, the empath stood up and exited the roof, leaving Julia sitting there, feeling dissatisfied.

* * *

"It just doesn't seem fair," Julia grumbled, kicking a pebble back into the water. "The lessons will take months before I can control my powers fully. I don't want to wait that long."

She and Aqualad were taking a walk that day on the beach of the island. They had made it a routine to take a walk or rest somewhere outside each evening after dinner.

Julia was walking barefoot, her sneakers and socks in her hands, while Aqualad walked beside her, both of them strolling at the point where the water was lapping at the sand.

"Maybe if you practiced more, you'd finish your lessons sooner," Aqualad suggested, though he didn't sound happy. "Why do you want to leave so soon?"

Stopping, Julia turned to look at the youth.

"I don't," she lied. "Why do you think that?"

The Atlantean shrugged, looking down at her. He had stopped when she had.

"Well, you seem so anxious to get your lessons done, it only means that you're anxious to leave Titans Tower. Why else would you want to complete your lessons so quickly?"

Looking away from Aqualad's penetrating gaze, Julia dug her toes into the wet sand, feeling the sand cover her feet.

"Maybe I don't like my lessons, and I just want to control my powers as soon as I can, before anything else happens."

"I don't think so."

The remark made Julia look up at him again. "I'm pretty sure that it's not that," Aqualad went on, walking and looking straight forward again. Julia followed him, as he said, "I don't have to be able to read minds to know that you can't wait to leave Titans Tower." He looked down at her again. "But why?"

It was no use lying to him. And it didn't really matter that she spoke the truth about this. Julia took a deep breath.

"It's not you, Aqualad, if that's what you're thinking. It's…it's just being away from home, I suppose. Just living in a Tower of superheroes, where I don't belong, where I don't really know anyone. Where I'm a stranger."

"You know me," the youth replied. "And it's not like you're a complete stranger. Everyone's fine with you."

Julia smiled.

"Has anyone told you that you're an optimist?" she asked mockingly. "Because you have a way of trying to make people feel good about anything."

Aqualad just grinned at this.

"Has anyone told you that you're good at trying to change the subject?" he retorted.

This got a laugh from Julia. She linked her arm with Aqualad's companionably.

"Well, it works, doesn't it?" she replied innocently. "Already, I'm sure that you've forgotten what we were talking about." Before he could reply to this, she continued, "I wonder why there hasn't been any crimes for the past week or so. Isn't it usually busy here?"

The Atlantean shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm in the Teen Titans East, so I'm not around much. Here, I think they're off and on - sometimes busy, sometimes relaxed. In the east, it's pretty much like that. There are weeks when there's a crime almost every day. Then there are weeks with no criminal activity. It's an alternately hectic and boring life."

The two teens found themselves at a cluster of dark rocks, smoothed over by the waves, but now high and dry in the low tide. Aqualad climbed onto the rocks expertly, then offered a hand to Julia. The girl could easily have climbed on by herself, but she let the youth help her up, until they were both sitting on the top rock, looking out at the setting sky.

A long moment passed in comfortable silence. Aqualad was tossing a ball of ocean water from hand to hand, while Julia watched a lone sailboat floating in the bay, manned by what looked like a blond couple.

Finally Julia commented, softly, "Is it nice to live like this, as a superhero? When you always have money, respect and adoration of others, and a safe place to stay?"

Aqualad turned his head slightly to look at Julia. The Asian girl was leaning back on her hands, her face wistful as she watching the sun dip down below the horizon. There was a sweet longing on her face, as if she never wanted anything but to sit there.

"Yeah, it's nice, sometimes." The youth looked back forward. "But it's got its drawbacks: working hard to catch criminals,-" he didn't notice Julia's hand twitch "-researching and doing investigations, fighting all the time, even at night…it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Even with the fan girls that run after you all the time?" Julia asked teasingly, looking at Aqualad with a smile. The Atlantean met her eye and grinned.

"So that makes up for it a little," he replied, just as jokingly. "Especially the pretty ones, and all the fan mail I get. But," he became serious again, "I suppose that, yeah, this kind of life is good. Really good, actually. Why?"

Julia didn't reply for a long moment. She looked back at the horizon, where the sun was almost gone.

"Nothing."


	14. Aqualad Leaves

**A/N:** Right. So I know that this is a short chapter (compared to the others), but that's only because the next one is uber-long. Because it's a fight scene, and it's pretty important at the same time.

* * *

A week later, hardly any crimes had gone by - only four. According to the Titans, this was a small amount, compared to some of their more busy weeks. It was like they were taking a kind of vacation. Or maybe the criminals were.

Each time a crime occurred, the Tower went into alarm mode - lights that Julia hadn't noticed before flashed red, blares sounded throughout the entire Tower, and small red gadgets on each of the Titans flashed brightly.

And each time a crime was reported, Julia was confined to her room, while the Titans raced away to deal with the crime. At first, Robin insisted that Julia be locked in her room, which made the teen girl cross.

But after the third crime, when Julia told them that she'd nearly had to pee in her own room because she'd been locked away from the bathroom, the Titans didn't lock her in her room anymore. The cameras were still on, they reasoned, and would catch her doing anything. Plus, Robin had installed electric-device detectors in all the rooms that didn't have cameras. And the Titans' rooms were locked when they were out.

* * *

Four weeks had passed since Julia had moved into the Tower. She was getting more comfortable there, although she had an inkling that she'd never be completely fine with living with the Titans. Not when her best friend, Red X, was their enemy. And when she was their enemy, although they didn't know it.

The next day, Aqualad stated that he was needed back at Teen Titans East. They were having a surge of criminals, with felonies happening every other day, and needed Aqualad to help them out. After all, they worked better as a full team.

The Atlantean's announcement caused some unhappiness in the Titans West team, but no one was more dejected and disappointed than Julia. With Aqualad gone, who would stand up for her when no one else would? Who would she walk on the beach with, or sit on the roof with, after dinner? Who could she confide in?

Apparently, with Aqualad gone, no one.

The morning that Aqualad left saw the Teen Titans West, Julia, and Aqualad standing at the beach at the edge of the island that Titans Tower was situated on. Aqualad would swim to the mainland of Jump City, then take a plane to the East Coast, where the Teen Titans East was located.

One by one, the Titans said their good-byes to Aqualad, each of them wishing the youth a safe trip and the best of their luck. When Aqualad reached Robin, he shook the team leader's hand. They were the only ones who knew that the Atlantean slipped a folded piece of paper into the Boy Wonder's hand as they clasped hands in a manly fashion.

"Good luck with your city and team," Aqualad told Robin firmly, letting go of his hand and the paper. Then, more quietly so that nobody could hear them, he added, "Don't open it until I'm gone, and you are alone. It's important."

Robin nodded, and Aqualad finally came to Julia, who was trying her best not to look pained. She knew she'd miss him sorely. Chances were that she'd never see him, unless he visited Jump City again, which she knew was rare.

Hesitating after a moment, Aqualad hugged Julia.

Pleased that her friend was being open to her, the Asian girl hugged him back, embracing him firmly for a moment, then letting go again. She didn't want to embarrass Aqualad in front of the others.

"I'll miss you," she remarked, quietly. In spite of her struggles to keep from looking too upset, the girl felt her eyes prickle with tears. Horrified, she blinked them away. "Thanks for everything, Aqualad."

Aqualad squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"We'll meet again," he replied resolutely. "I know it. I'll miss you, too."

Stepping back, he looked at the Titans, and Julia, assembled on the sand. He gave them all one last wave, then turned, dove into the water, and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Life at Titans Tower, after that, was never the same, with Aqualad gone. Julia found herself constantly bored and restless. She would try to read one of her books, put it down, then pace around, only to try to read again.

Nothing caught her attention. The guy members of the team were always playing video games, stopping her from watching TV. Besides, she didn't want to intrude. They looked so fierce and determined when they were playing their car-racing games, or ninja fights.

Cooking or shopping with Starfire only frustrated Julia, and meditating didn't slacken her agitation. Nobody knew what to do about the teen girl's new restiveness, and not many of them even cared.

That's when Julia had a crazy, rebellious idea. An idea that could get her in so much trouble, but ease her impatience.

* * *

**A/N:** Bum, Bum, BUM! I kinda gave away what happens next (I hinted at it in the beginning of this chapter), but it's exciting.

Poor Julia. Who's she going to be friends with now?

Starfire: ME! ME!

Julia: ...um, maybe not.

BB: -plays video games-

Cyborg: -plays video games-

Raven: I'm too antisocial. Sorry about that. -disappears-

Robin:...I'm too stoic. -goes to gym-


	15. Athene vs Robin

**A/N:** Whoo! Fight scene! Tell me if you like it, guys!

* * *

"It's just you and me, Robin."

The thief girl faced the Boy Wonder. They both stood in an empty warehouse illuminated by cracks in the roof, letting in slivers of moonlight. Iron ceiling beams crisscrossed above them. The floor was concrete, with a thin layer of dust coating the surface.

Robin stared at his opponent. In the middle of the night, while he had been researching Red X and the mysterious thief girl that had beaten his team, he had gotten the minor report of sightings of a violet-masked girl near the warehouses.

Feeling that he could take care of the thief alone, and without waking the other Titans to drag them over, the Boy Wonder had gone alone. Riding to the warehouses on his R-Cycle, he'd gone to the nearest one, the one with the open doors.

As soon as he'd entered, the doors had slammed closed, then locked. The largest source of light gone, Robin hadn't seen who had shut the doors. But as his eyes had adjusted, he'd seen the thief girl, the one who he'd been investigating.

Now Robin stood opposite of her. Things were going against his plan to capture the thief. But he could still fix this.

"Who are you?" he asked in wonder. His voice echoed through the building, bouncing off the walls.

The girl smiled. It was a smile full of danger and amusement.

"I could ask the same thing."

When the Boy Wonder only stared at her, she continued, "You're an ex-sidekick. You're serious, obsessive, determined. And yet, you're part of a team, chained down. You're not free. Is that what you want?"

Her opponent's jaw clenched.

"It's better than what you have," he replied coolly. "Loneliness, no friendship, desolation. Surprising that you haven't committed suicide yet."

The thief girl smiled.

"Well, if I did, I wouldn't get another chance to torment you again, Robin," she said sweetly. "Besides," she winked at him. "My life is full of fun. Those thrilling moments when I thwart the law more than make up for whatever else I lack. And I have friends."

Robin raised his eyebrows.

"Like who?"

The teen girl laughed. It was the laugh of a carefree teenager.

"I'm not about to tell you," she responded, amused. "But kudos to you for trying to find out, anyway."

The Boy Wonder stepped closer. His brown was furrowed with frustration. Who was this girl, a thief whose talents matched his own? Where had she come from?

The thief girl raised an eyebrow.

"You look frustrated, Bird Boy," she commented. "Is my secret identity problem making you angry?"

Her opponent shrugged.

"That, and your personality," he said, then threw a few explosive discs swiftly at the girl.

With lightning speed, the teen girl did a few back flips, one handed, to get out of the way. She landed neatly on her feet, smiling.

"Nice try," she remarked. "But I know that you can do better."

Jaw clenched, Robin threw a few more explosive discs that produced smoke, then shot a grappling device above the thief's head. It sunk into a beam, and the rope went taut as the Boy Wonder swung forward, feet first, to get his foe while she was busy in the smoke cloud.

However, the thief was ready. When the smoke obscured her vision, she rolled away to the side, holding her breath until she was out of the smoke. As Robin soared toward the spot where she had been (unable to stop in mid-swing), the teen girl fired off her ray gun, which cleanly snapped Robin's rope.

Taken by surprise, the Boy Wonder barely had the chance to roll when he fell to the ground. Retaliating quickly, the youth whipped out his bo staff and extended it out on both sides. He leapt for the thief, the bo staff chopping down.

The teen girl dodged to the side to avoid Robin's attack, but the Boy Wonder continued his offense by sharply turning to swing his weapon at the thief, who leaned far back to avoid being hit.

When the bo staff was horizontal in front of her, the teen girl rolled onto her back, hooking her boots onto the metal weapon and jerking it backwards, over her head.

Robin soared over the thief's head, his grip still on the bo staff, and rolled. His opponent sprang up as he did. They circled each other warily, breathing hard.

"Who _are_ you?" Robin shouted in frustration. It was obvious that it was killing him to be beaten by a thief, a girl, so easily.

The thief laughed, which further enraged the Boy Wonder, who bounded forward, bo staff swinging so fast that it created a swishing noise. Calmly, his adversary blocked his attacks with the metal arm guards on her wrists and forearms.

Crouching down, the teen girl whipped out one leg at Robin's feet, trying to unbalance him. The Boy Wonder jumped to avoid being tripped up, then whacked the thief in the stomach with his bo staff. The thief girl was thrown back a few feet, winded.

When Robin dove for her, the girl looked up, her leg curling back. At the right moment, her foot snapped out into her opponent's gut. Robin was hurled backwards, landing on his back. The air from his lungs was forced out, making him gasp.

The two teenagers stood up slowly, struggling for breath. Hero stared at thief; girl stared at boy as they both recovered slowly.

"Do you ever give up?" Robin asked, panting.

The thief girl shook her head.

"The day I give up will be the day that you give up your ridiculous honor. Which, I might add, you've strayed from."

Scowling, Robin took out his two elongated birdarangs, the ones that acted as knives. In response, his foe drew out two black-handled knives, thin and sturdy, with hand guards.

The Boy Wonder and the thief circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. They took a few steps closer, tightening the circle so they wouldn't have to leap forward to attack.

With a yell, Robin darted forward, birdarangs whirling. The thief parried his attacks efficiently, her face hard with concentration. Sparks flew between their clashing blades, lighting up the grim faces of the adversaries.

The thief blocked the Boy Wonder repeatedly, wearing him down bit by bit. When she judged that the moment was right, she slipped one of her blades between Robin's birdarangs and sliced the hero's 'R' badge, on his front, in half. It fell apart to the ground.

This move infuriated the Boy Wonder, as it was intended to do. Robin attacked with a new force, rage and frustration motivating him. Both forces made him vulnerable, but also more dangerous.

Robin swung at the thief with one birdarang, seeming to slice the air before his opponent blocked his move with her own knife. With his other birdarang, the Boy Wonder swiped lower, near the legs.

The thief girl pressed a firm hand on Robin's shoulder, and vaulted forward over his head and behind him. She landed, crouched, facing away from him.

The Boy Wonder whirled around, birdarangs raised and chopping down. The thief turned in time to lock her blades with her foe's birdarangs. They struggled against each other, panting.

"Do you really want to know my name?" the thief asked, almost breathless from fighting so hard.

Her foe tried hooking his leg around hers to topple her. The teen girl slipped her knives away, and immediately flipped backwards. Robin front flipped after her, so that when the thief landed, they resumed their fight quickly.

The hero brought his birdarangs forward and together, like a pincer movement, at his adversary's sides. The teen girl locked her blades with his again by twisting them down and around the birdarangs, the hand guards holding the weapons together.

"Of course I want to know your name!" Robin snapped. Sweat coursed down each of their faces.

The youth swung his foot surprisingly high, over their waist-high interlocked blades, in order to hit his foe in the head.

The thief ducked, then released her knives' lock on the birdarangs. She did a graceful side cartwheel with no hands, like a gymnast, to get out of the way as the Boy Wonder swiped at her again.

At the same exact instant, the two fighters chopped down at each other with their weapons. The result was that their blades slid down against each other, screeching, until they stopped at the hand guards.

The two teens threw their weight against each other, faces inches apart over their weapons.

"They call me-"

The thief twisted her wrists to the side, but Robin went along with the movement, forcing the two of them to flip sideways, legs whirling, and blades still locked. When they landed, they were still deadlocked.

"-Athene," the thief finished. Robin's weight was overpowering hers, so she broke free and darted around him, whacking him in the back with the flat of her knife.

Furious now, Robin whirled around, birdarangs darting forward. His fury was making him careless. The teen girl slid both knives around the youth's weapons, and flicked her wrists. The Boy Wonder's blades flew away, out of reach.

The thief girl, Athene, sheathed her knives.

"So you do retain some honor," Robin said shortly, albeit somewhat breathlessly. They were both breathing very hard. "You're not going to fight with blades, because I don't have any."

Athene laughed. It echoed around the warehouse, like several girls were laughing at Robin. Mocking him.

"No. I just wanted to beat you with my own fists, not knives."

She jumped into the air, boot ready to come into contact with the Boy Wonder's torso. The youth, though, dodged to the side, and punched his opponent in the jaw as she soared right past him.

The teen girl was thrown to the side, painfully landing on the cement. For a moment, she crouched there on the ground, arms holding her up. Her torso was twisted to the side, facing away from her adversary. She closed her eyes as she moved her jaw carefully, making sure that it was intact.

Robin stood over her, eyes narrowed.

"Athene, is it? What, one tap to the jaw and you're finished?"

With speed that the hero certainly did not expect, the thief girl whirled around, her foot catching Robin in the chest and tossing him back. As the Boy Wonder staggered up from the ground, the girl did a spinning kick, causing him to be flung back another few feet into a hard cement wall.

Robin rolled away from his spot on the wall just in time to avoid the punch that his foe swung at him. He slammed a fist into the thief's stomach, knocking the wind from her, then knocked her legs out from under her. Athene collapsed to her knees, gasping.

But when the Boy Wonder threw a punch at the teen girl, she grabbed his wrist and heaved him behind her, onto the ground. Quick as a flash, she had his wrist twisted so that he was forced to his knees, facing the opposite way. Her free hand whipped out her knife, which she held an inch from Robin's throat.

For a long moment, the two teens didn't move, Robin down on his knees, and Athene above him, twisting his wrist and holding her razor-sharp knife to his throat. The Boy Wonder gritted his teeth. She had the chance to kill him. So why didn't she?

Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the warehouse doors burst open, and Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg ran or flew into the building.

Athene glanced up at them, her grip on Robin's wrist never slackening a bit, and her blade never trembling. Her violet eyes flashed from behind her mask.

"The cavalry's here," she remarked. "See you later, Bird Boy."

She did a few one-handed flips to evade the sonic blast, barrage of starbolts, and thrown ceiling beams, before landing in the middle of the building. Beast Boy turned into a bull and charged toward her.

"We'll definitely have to do that again sometime later," the thief commented. She winked at Robin, who stared at her, getting to his feet. "Nice fight, by the way."

The teen girl threw down a small device from her belt, which consumed her in a column of smoke.

Beast Boy ran right through the smoke cloud, and came out on the other side. Changing back into his human form, the changeling stared at his teammates and shrugged.

Athene was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** Again: bum, bum BUM!

Robin: T.T Why does this have to happen to me?

Author: Because it's fun to pick on you.

Robin:...I'm being victimized.

Author: -pats Robin's head- You're Robin, the Boy Wonder. You'll be fine.


	16. Suspicions Arise

**A/N:** Poor Robin. Sooo frustrated. And I don't really blame him. It's hard to admit that you're not the best when you've always thought so.

* * *

Julia entered the Operations Room to find the Teen Titans converging around Robin, who looked tired and beaten up as he sat on the sofa. His 'R' badge was missing, and his clothing was slightly ripped. The Boy Wonder was resting his forearms on his knees, his head bowed, as his teammates clustered around him, talking in low voices.

"What happened?"

The Teen Titans, including Robin, looked up at her as she came forward, a worried look on her face.

"Robin fought that thief we told you about." Raven stated flatly.

"Yeah, that chick who almost beat-" Beast Boy started to say, then stopped at the warning look Raven threw him.

"Robin is very tired," Starfire remarked, concerned. "He is hurt badly."

Robin shrugged off the alien's attempt to check him for more injuries. He looked up.

"I'm fine," he said roughly. "Starfire, it's ok. Really."

Starfire withdrew quickly. Sighing, Julia sat down next to Robin as Starfire moved away, looking hurt.

"You shouldn't bite the hand extended for your own help," the Asian girl murmured to Robin, who looked at her. He opened his mouth to give a retort, but Julia shook her head to stop him. "Just saying." She stood up and moved away, behind the couch.

As she did, Robin glimpsed a bruise on her jaw, which was almost concealed by a layer of makeup. Before he could comment on it, though, Cyborg spoke up.

"So, you said you learned the thief's name? What is it?"

Looking up and putting Julia's bruise out of his mind, Robin nodded.

"Yeah, I found out her name: Athene."

The Boy Wonder glanced at Julia as he said this. The Asian girl's face was curious and attentive, like the other teens'. Robin ignored the other Titans' sudden talk about this bit of knowledge, as he stared at Julia. The girl met his eyes for a brief moment, then looked away, as if embarrassed by their simultaneous eye contact.

"I'll be in my workroom," Robin said suddenly, interrupting his friends' conversation as he tore his gaze from Julia. "You can find me there if you need me."

He stood up and walked out of the room, somewhat tiredly, as the Titans and Julia watched him go.

* * *

Robin entered his workroom and strode to the single table in the middle of the room, where he took a pencil and wrote in large, clean, block-style letters: **ATHENE**.

He put the piece of paper on top of the article about Red X that he had previously been studying. For now, the thief girl was his priority.

Staring down at the name of the thief girl, Robin knitted his brows, frowning. He imagined Athene: long black hair, mask, sleek costume, high heeled boots. Out of the blue, the image of Julia came to the hero's mind. Athene and Julia both had the same color and length of hair, plus the same body type. What did that mean?

And then, Robin's mind went back to the bruise that he had seen on Julia's jaw, at the same exact spot that he, Robin, had punched Athene. Did all of that mean that Julia was, perhaps, Athene?

But what about their differences in personality? Robin drummed his fingers on the table. Athene was the opposite of Julia, really. But were they the same person?

Frustrated, the Boy Wonder shuffled some papers around, looking for any articles that contained a picture of Athene.

Rustling some papers, the Boy Wonder saw from the corner of his eye a piece of folded paper falling to the floor. Picking it up, he recognized it as the note that Aqualad had given him before leaving, while also instructing him to not open it until later. Robin had forgotten about it.

Now the hero unfolded the small piece of paper. He had just glimpsed Aqualad's handwriting, when there was a knock on the workroom door. Robin turned, hurriedly shoving the letter behind him, under some articles.

"Come in," he called out.

The door slid open, revealing Julia framed in the space left by the door. Robin straightened up as the Asian girl walked in. If the teen in front of him were Athene, then she would have the motivation to take a swing at him at that very moment.

However, Julia only crossed her arms, sighing. Robin automatically compared her neat braid and more conservative clothes to Athene's loose, wild hair, and tighter, showy outfit.

"The other Teen Titans are going to watch a movie, Robin," Julia remarked mildly. "They - we - would like you to join us."

The Boy Wonder shook his head.

"I think I'll skip this one," he replied, just as calmly. "I have work to do. Now that I know the thief's name, I can start researching up on her."

He turned around and started sorting through the papers on the table. He'd decided to start by looking for any connection between Athene and Red X.

"You're alienating yourself from your friends, Robin."

Julia's remark cut Robin in the back, causing him to stop short.

"What do you know about alienating?" the hero retorted curtly, his back rigid.

"I know enough to realize that you're treating your friends like dirt," the Asian girl stated firmly. When Robin made a scoffing noise, she continued, "Your obsessions stop you from hanging out with your friends. You put criminals in higher priority than your own teammates."

Robin turned his head slightly in her direction.

"You know what they say," he said. "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer."

Julia took a few steps closer to Robin's back, and saw that his shoulders tensed.

"If you continue what you're doing," she replied determinedly, "they won't be your friends for much longer, Robin." She took a deep breath, then went on. "I've seen how Starfire looks at you, Robin. Do you really want her to give up on you because of your obsessions over a petty thief?"

Slowly, Robin turned around to face Julia. They both had steely looks on their faces, their arms crossed.

Finally the Boy Wonder looked away.

"No," he said clearly, keeping his dignity, "I don't want that."

Satisfied, Julia walked out of the room, and waited while Robin turned off the lights, then exited the room, the door sliding shut behind him. When the Boy Wonder left the room, he walked ahead of her to the Operations Room.

* * *

Once the movie had finished, and all the Titans dispersed to their own rooms, Julia walked solidly to her room. When she was inside, however, and the door was closed, she staggered over to her bed and collapsed onto it, moaning quietly.

Not only had the teen out raced the Titans to the Tower, but she had used a stolen hoverboard to fly back up to her room (using the Tower's camera blindspots, which she'd found out previously). Then, she'd quickly dried any sweat on her, changed and braided her hair, and covered her bruises with makeup. This was all followed by her calm entrance into the Operations Room as if she had just been reading books. Which was what the others thought she had been doing.

Now, Julia made herself stand up, then take a much-needed shower. She had enough energy to change and braid her hair, then crawl into bed. However, her mind was still active even when her body ached with weariness from her fight with Robin and the pretense that she was normal that she had kept up afterwards.

Robin was having some suspicions, she thought. She could tell from his slightly furrowed brows when he looked at her, and the way he seemed to always stay away from her, while going to the Operations Room, and leaving it.

It'll be a long while before I try _that_ again, Julia mused, before falling asleep.


	17. Explosion

**A/N:** I'm really thinking that I could actually finish this story. I've never finished a story that I've been satisfied with. This is the first one that I've had some structure to the writing (I make short outlines or take notes whenever an idea pops into my head). If - I mean, when - I finish it, I'll be pretty proud. I've already written the outline to the ending. And I know what the last line will be.

* * *

For the next few days, Julia didn't dare venture out into the city as Athene. Robin had already gotten suspicions, and she didn't want to give him any more evidence. Just that fight itself had told her that it wasn't wise to sneak out as a double identity.

Robin continued to watch her closely, as if looking for some kind of sign that pointed her toward Athene. However, the Asian girl was careful to act normally, practicing controlling her powers with Raven, reading, and catching up with the news on the world outside of Titans Tower.

But because she couldn't leave the Tower, Julia's restlessness set in again. She found herself just exploring the Tower because she had nothing else to do. The Titans, for the most part, didn't seem to mind this.

And with Julia's restlessness came her inability to concentrate fully on controlling her powers. It didn't help that her powers seemed to be expanding slowly, glowing brighter and pushing outward against her control.

Finally Julia decided to tell Raven. She'd been putting it off, hoping that it was just her restiveness that was causing her control to be weaker. But her power had grown too much, and seemed to be on verge of exploding out of her control.

* * *

"Raven!"

Julia strode into the Operations Room, where the Titans were lazily relaxing. As usual, Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were taking turns to play video games, Raven was reading, and Starfire was flipping through some human magazines and studying them in interest.

Raven glanced up from her book, but didn't set it down. Julia's face was full of panic.

"What?" she asked flatly, taking in the other girl's alarmed expression.

The Asian girl walked over quickly to Raven, then stopped in front of her. She wasn't used to the dark girl _that_ much.

"It's my powers."

The empath's expression didn't change. As usual.

"What about them?"

Julia was fiddling with her braid nervously. She was suddenly aware that the boys had paused the video game and was looking over, and Starfire was watching curiously.

"Well, I can't control them anymore. I feel like my power's been growing steadily over the past months, and I can't stop them. It's like they're going to explode out of my restraint really soon."

Lowering her book, Raven sat up a little straighter.

"How soon?" she asked, her voice sharper. The other Titans were looking between Raven and Julia, their faces tense, as if they were ready to bolt.

Anxiously, Julia shook her head.

"Like, any second."

She winced, sensing her power on the point of blasting from her constraint. Raven, at least, was paying attention now. The empath quickly crossed her legs, then closed her eyes.

"Azarath, Metrion, Xin-"

But before the dark girl could stabilize Julia's powers, they went off.

It was like a dam bursting, and water gushing out of the newly created hole. Except that it wasn't water, but lightning and air power, the dam was Julia's control, and the hole was Julia's body.

Lightning shot from the Asian girl, thick bolts that sprang away and outward. The bolts hit the Operations Room with heat hotter than the sun, with the speed that no human being could match. Except maybe Kid Flash.

And when the lightning bolts hit the Operations Room, the spots on the ceiling, floor, and walls that were hit instantly exploded from the impact. Not to mention set on fire. Debris flew through the air.

A gust of wind swept through the room, rattling cabinets, sending papers flying, and causing overall chaos. The giant window that acted as a screen shattered as at least five lightning bolts struck it. Glass rained down.

When the wind finally died down, and the dust settled, it revealed a scene of disaster. There were gaping holes everywhere, around which were small fires were slowly burning. The air was clear and empty of dust because of the breeze, but the floor was littered with scattered papers, and the floor in front of the screen with broken glass.

For a long moment, nobody said a word. Julia, who had staggered from the raw force that had emanated from her, closed her eyes shut in horror of the destruction she had caused. Clutching the side of a table, she leaned on it for support.

She didn't even want to know what Robin would say about all of this. Or Raven. Or any of the Titans, for that matter.

"Well. This place looks like a cheese riddled with holes," Beast Boy remarked, breaking the silence.

There was another pause. Then-

"That was probably one of your worst jokes yet," Cyborg replied.

Beast Boy made a face.

"Better than what you can make up," he muttered.

Finally Julia opened her eyes again.

"I am so, so, so sorry," she said in a low voice, looking towards Robin, who was determinedly keeping a blank face. The Boy Wonder just shook his head fractionally from side to side, his jaw clenched.

Raven was the one to break the silence following Julia's apology.

"We'd better start cleaning," she stated emotionlessly. "Before Beast Boy cuts himself on glass or something." Beast Boy made a mock outraged noise. "Julia, meditate. You probably won't be able to help us right now. Everyone else, let's get cleaning."

After that, the Titans wordlessly started putting the room back to normal.

Robin worked on putting out the fires with a fire extinguisher, then cleaning it up from the floor. Raven used her powers to pick up debris from the floor and set it back into place, while Starfire used her laser eyes to mold them back. Cyborg was busily collected the pieces of glass, and Beast Boy picked up the strewn papers.

Julia went to the side and, after brushing debris off of the bench in front of the table, began meditating in earnest. She threw herself into meditating, with more willpower than ever before. The extent of her power breaking from her control had reminded her too much of the fire she had caused in her old house. At least this time, she wasn't burning down the Tower.

"Julia."

The Asian girl opened her eyes to see Raven standing in front of her, staring at her.

"Hmm? What time is it?" She'd lost herself in meditating. The Operations Room was clean again, with the debris cleared up and the ceiling, floors, and walls back to normal. The glass window had been replaced. The other Titans were gone from the room.

The empath just looked at her.

"You've been meditating for an hour," she replied flatly. "Everyone's finished. I wanted you to reestablish control over your powers. Have you?"

Blinking from the fact that she'd been meditating for a whole hour, Julia measured her power within her.

"Um, yes, I think so," she responded, still dazed. At least Robin wasn't there giving her evil looks. Raven nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Let's go to the roof. We're having another lesson to stop this kind of thing from happening again."

* * *

"I believe that your power bursting from your control, and the fact that it has been expanding, is because you have not been letting it out of you in any way," Raven told Julia, as they sat on the roof, the empath hovering a foot higher. "In other words, you're not using your powers."

When Julia opened her mouth to reply to this, Raven interrupted, "I know Robin, Aqualad, and I had decided not to teach you to use your powers. But if you do not, accidents worse than today will happen. So I'm teaching you to use your powers in a safe way."

Julia couldn't help it. She asked, bitterly, "Did Robin approve of this?"

Studying the Asian girl, Raven paused.

"Not at first. But he had to agree, in the end."

Taking a deep breath, Julia looked down. She didn't want Raven to see the fear that was surely in her eyes. Use her powers? That was the thing that she'd been avoiding her whole life, especially after the house fire incident.

And what would Damien and Roger say? Roger didn't seem to mind that she had powers, but Damien…he only wanted her to control her powers, not to use them. He knew, at least, how Julia feared her own powers.

But if she had to prevent more accidents from happening…maybe using her powers was her only choice. Even if she hated it.

Resolutely, Julia looked back up at Raven, who was watching her closely.

"Ok. I'm ready."

After a moment of contemplating the Asian girl - what was she thinking, and what did she deduce? - Raven nodded.

"All right. We'll start with making shields of lightning. That's the least dangerous way."

* * *

Besides shields of lightning, Raven later informed Julia, she would be teaching her how to shoot lightning accurately (for defense only), and how to summon gusts of wind.

Because of her dread of using her powers deliberately, Julia learned slowly, only timidly experimenting with new things. Using her powers was more dangerous, she knew, but it was also somewhat of a relief. She wasn't filled with the same burning agitation, and her powers did not expand anymore.

After another month, Julia had mastered creating a strong shield of lightning for herself, and shooting lightning. Hitting a two-inch wide target with lightning, though, was another story.

But two months had passed since she had come to the Tower after being 'rescued', and as Raven had told her, Julia had 'progressed notably'.

Despite that, the Asian girl avoided using her powers as much as possible, and feared it every time that she did use it. The other Titans either didn't notice, or, in Raven's case, did not question this.


	18. Birthday

**A/N:** Ok, this is the bit where the story picks up. Well, not this chapter. But this chapter leads to the part where the story picks up.

* * *

"Friends, when are your birthdays? I have been reading up on some events, and they list these 'birthdays'."

Julia glanced up from a book she was reading, curled up on the couch in the Operations Room. It was morning, right after an early breakfast and power practice. The other Titans were similarly lazing around the room, resting after their morning fighting practice session.

Starfire had just come into the room, carrying a magazine. The page in front of her was flipped open to a calendar listing major events. The other Titans, hearing her, had looked up at the interruption.

"Well, you all know when mine is," Raven remarked quietly from her position on one of the couches. She hadn't even looked up from her book, which was hovering in the air in front of her.

"But when is Robin's birthday?" Starfire persisted. "And Beast Boy's? And Cyborg's? And Julia's?"

The other Titans looked at each other, save for Raven, who continued to read her book silently.

"I don't really think we should give out our real birthdays," Robin stated, shrugging. "Other people could find out, and discover our secret identities."

Starfire turned her wide green eyes on Julia.

"But our friend Julia doesn't have a secret identity, does she?" she asked, her brow furrowed slightly in puzzlement. Now everybody looked at Julia, who cleared her throat. Her secret identity had never come up in the last few months.

"Well, technically, I do," she responded, trying to look dismissive. "That's probably why all of you don't know every single thing about me. And if I gave you my birthday, you could easily find out all of that." Her birthday, unknown to the Titans, had already passed in secret.

Suddenly, Starfire's eyes lit up with excitement.

"We can choose a birthday for you, friend Julia!" she exclaimed, starting to hover off the floor with happiness. "Tomorrow!"

Beast Boy looked confused.

"We're choosing Julia's birthday tomorrow?" he asked, looking bewildered.

"Nah, I think Star means we're choosing her birthday, and she wants it to be tomorrow," Cyborg told the changeling.

Robin frowned a little.

"What are you planning to do for Julia's, uh, birthday?" he asked cautiously. Starfire was known to do elaborate things for small events.

The Tameranian princess flew back and forth, thinking out loud.

"We can create the cake of birthdays," she said eagerly. "And give friend Julia presents, and do something fun for the day, like-" her face lit up once more. "-shopping!"

Julia blanched. She hated shopping.

"I don't have any money," she protested quickly. "And I can't leave the Tower, remember?"

She glanced over at Robin, and was horrified to see that he was considering Starfire's ideas. When he caught her eye, he grinned wickedly. He could tell that she didn't like shopping, and was going to use it against her.

"Does this mean we're going into the city?" Beast Boy piped up, from his video game. "'Cause I've been dying to get the latest Super Ninja Monkeys game."

"Yeah, and I need some spare car parts for the T-Car," Cyborg added, not even looking up from the wide screen.

Raven's eyes paused for a moment from zooming across the book page.

"I can buy more books," she stated indifferently.

Robin looked at Julia, keeping his face straight.

"I think you've proved that you're trustworthy enough to go to the city with us," he remarked evenly, though Julia was sure that there was a trace of humor in his voice. "We can go tomorrow, then."

Starfire looked absolutely delighted.

"Wondrous!" she cried, clasping her hands. Robin, looking over at his teammate, looked amused. "Today we will go to get the necessities of a birthday. And tomorrow, we will present the gifts, and go to the mall of shopping for the day!"

Julia's groan was drowned out by Starfire's ramble of things to prepare for her birthday. The other Titans, sensing that the time for discussion was over, went back to their activities. Still listing off things to do, Starfire floated out of the room.

For the rest of the day, Julia went through her normal routine. Once in a while, she would pass by Starfire, who was busily preparing for Julia's 'birthday'. At noon, with gift suggestions from the other Titans, the alien departed to the Jump City mall to buy presents and supplies that weren't in the Tower.

* * *

The next day, Julia purposely slept late, until she was woken up by Starfire hammering on her door. Needless to say, the super-strong alien's noise and persistent calls forced her to get up and get ready for the dreaded day ahead.

"What's going on?" the Asian girl asked warily, sitting down at the kitchen table next to Raven, who was sipping her herbal tea and reading one of her books. Starfire was busily cooking in the kitchen, while Robin gave her some instructions. A yawning Beast Boy was looking for the soymilk as Cyborg read the sports section of the day's newspaper.

Starfire turned from the pans for a moment to beam at Julia.

"Happy birthday, Julia!" she exclaimed. "I am preparing a special breakfast for your birthday."

Belatedly, the other Titans looked over at the Asian girl, calling out their own 'happy birthdays'. Julia just nodded tiredly and propped her chin on her hand, watching as Robin and Starfire attempted to cook breakfast. She hoped it wouldn't be a disaster. Starfire's cooking was known to be…strange and unappetizing.

A few minutes later, Starfire was depositing a steaming plate of food in front of Julia, who sat up quickly, the savory smells making her alert. There was an assortment of scrambled eggs, sausage, and buttered toast on the plate. Robin, coming over, slid a glass of milk next to the plate.

Julia blinked in surprise. Everything surprisingly looked and smelled enticing.

"It looks great, Starfire," she remarked, picking up her fork hesitantly. "Thanks."

But Starfire stood in front of her expectantly, waiting for her to take a bite. Even Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy were watching Julia for her reaction. Raven was still gazing at her book, but her eyes weren't moving along the page.

Taking a deep breath, Julia summoned her courage and scooped up a piece of scrambled egg. Putting it into her mouth, she chewed for a moment, then swallowed. The egg was fluffy and flavorful.

Swallowing, Julia looked up at Starfire, who was watching her avidly.

"It's _really_ good, Starfire," she told the alien truthfully. "Seriously good. Thanks for making it for me."

Beaming, Starfire took out her own breakfast and began to eat.

"It was my pleasure, friend Julia," she replied cheerfully. "It is your birthday, after all."

* * *

The rest of the day unfolded into the best day at the Tower that Julia ever had. Raven allowed her to skip power practice (although made her meditate). Robin was pleasant to her all day, and Beast Boy let her go through a few of his video games and pick which one to play. Cyborg even offered to let Julia drive the T-Car when they would go into the city later that day. For two hours, Starfire and Julia braided each other's hair, painted their nails, and looked at 'girl' magazines.

Even the weather seemed to reflect Julia's happiness. It was a warm day, sunny with a few white clouds skidding across the sky.

Finally, at five in the evening, Starfire announced that they would be going into the city. On Cyborg's urging, Julia drove the T-Car into Jump City. It was certainly a new experience. The T-Car responded to the lightest touch, and went extremely fast.

Starfire directed Julia to stop at the Titans' favorite pizza place. There, the manager showed the Titans to a side room, to a door that Julia had never noticed. Once she opened the plain door, however, she was greeted by a loud shout of "Happy birthday!" and a room bedecked ornately with banners, balloons, and colorful decorations.

The room, which was small, had one rectangular table covered in a bright blue tablecloth that was patterned with cakes, balloons, and stars. There was a large red banner on the far wall, that spelled, in vibrant yellow, "Happy Birthday, Julia". Pink and blue streamers hung everywhere, and balloons bobbed on the ceiling or pulled against the chairs that they were tied to. There was a side table, which was piled with a few presents wrapped in hot pink wrapping paper.

Flushing, Julia was ushered inside by the Titans, who were clapping and grinning at her embarrassment. The girl hadn't realized how much Starfire had prepared for the birthday party. She was seated at the front of the rectangular table, and the Titans took their seats on either side of the table, talking and joking about Julia's surprise.

Once they were seated, a few waiters brought in pizza (what else?) for them to eat, and then a large ice cream cake with the words, "Happy Birthday, Julia" scrawled on top. The atmosphere was light and cheerful. In general, it was overwhelming for Julia, who'd never had such a large and elaborate birthday party before.

As soon as everyone had finished their meal, Cyborg carried all of the presents over and piled them in front of Julia, joking that the pile was taller than Julia herself. One by one, the Asian girl opened the gifts, taking time to show her gratitude and thank each Titan in turn.

From Raven, there was a thick book detailing all kinds of information on weather, from thunderstorm formation to the different types of clouds. Starfire had bought Julia a dark red sleeveless shirt, which had a v-collar and a lightning shape cut out below the collar. Beast Boy had gotten her a pair of dark blue jeans, with long yellow lightning bolts on the sides of each pant leg. From Robin, there was a black leather belt adorned by a dark red medallion, with a yellow lightning bolt engraved on it, and metal forearm guards likewise engraved with yellow lightning bolts on the sides. Cyborg had given Julia fifty dollars to spend at the mall.

Once the gifts were opened, the Titans and Julia left the pizza place for the mall, Julia carrying her gifts in a shopping bag. For the next two hours, the group of six walked through the mall, once and awhile stopping to go into stores and buy things. For the most part, Starfire, Raven, and Julia would go into clothing stores while the guys waited outside or went into a nearby store.

The day turned out so perfect, Julia could hardly believe that it was happening. Never in her life had she had a day like her fake birthday. But of course, good things could never last long, as she found out.

* * *

**A/N:** Basically, chaos will ensue very soon. The next chapter is a bit long, by the way. But it's worth it.


	19. Lightning and Ice

**A/N:** This is a long chapter, I know. But first, I want to reply to the latest review. Hopefully, whoever put it up will see this reply and have some questions answered.

Yes, Julia is Asian. She was born in China, but was put up for adoption. She was adopted by a Caucasian couple in America. It's very common nowadays, actually, to see a Caucasian couple with a little adopted Asian girl. Her name, Julia, isn't Asian. Many Asian kids have American names, besides their Asian names (if they have one). Julia is her American name. No, I didn't get my inspiration for her name from anybody I know (or myself). I came up with the name so long ago, I don't remember how. I haven't seen it in the media very often, and I don't think I chose it for the meaning.

It was mentioned that Julia could be on the road to becoming a cardboard character, or a Mary-Sue. I'm not going to lie and say that, no, Julia will be nothing like that. Because in some ways, she is. Yes, she has a tough past, but it isn't as angsty as it could be (believe me, I've thought of several, and I didn't choose the worst). She isn't unloved (she's got a very good friend, and a very close adopted brother), although she does sometimes feel alone. That kind of thing would happen if you had powers and the people around you didn't. Or if you were Asian, and the people around you were all Caucasian. Or if you were more mature than the people around you. You get the point. Julia doesn't suddenly become great friends with the Titans. At many parts, you see that she has a kind of indifference towards them (except for Aqualad, who somewhat pitied her). She's not there to become great buddies - she's there to learn to control her powers. And as for the romance, I'm going to give a bit of a spoiler and say that yes, there is a small something there. But it's nothing more than a crush. It's respect/admiration coupled with friendship, all in all mistaken for a crush.

I don't want to ruin the rest of the story before we get there, nor take up even more space. But I'm honestly glad that the review was posted. It keeps me seeing what's not right about the story, especially because I'm the one writing it. It's hard for me to see the mistakes when I'm making the story up. So, thank you for the review. And I hope that whoever reads this continues reading it to the end.

And here's the story.

* * *

Julia was once again driving all of them back to the Tower, the many shopping bags stuffed into the trunk of the T-Car. They were listening to the country station on the radio, and Julia was humming along to the songs that she knew. The sun was just setting on the horizon, bathing the city in a reddish-orange glow.

Suddenly, the Titans' communicators went off, playing the theme jingle that all of them knew well. Cyborg, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, turned off the country music as Robin flipped open his communicator, revealing a mini map of Jump City, with a beeping green dot against the black background.

"There's a bit of trouble," he announced unnecessarily. He glanced up at Julia, whose back had stiffened at the sound of the communicators. "It's nothing major, Julia. We just need a ride there. It's on Oakwood Road, near High Tech, the store."

Julia didn't reply, just nodded wordlessly and changed direction. She knew High Tech well, because Roger had often visited the store to acquire technology for thieving.

The next few minutes as she drove were completely silent, the air tense and brittle. The lively atmosphere that had filled the car just a minute ago had gone.

As the T-Car came to a screeching halt at an alleyway between the stores High Tech and Jo's Jewelry, the Titans burst from the car, ready for action. Julia, upon Robin's request, stayed sitting in the driver's seat of the T-Car, watching.

From what she could see, there were two figures in the dark alley. One of them, wearing a dark leather jacket, was holding a gun and pointing it straight at the second figure, who was slowly backing away into the alley, his face in the shadows. Both people seemed to be guys, in their late teens.

"Teen Titans, GO!"

At the sound of Robin's shout, the man with the gun suddenly noticed them. Raising his other hand, he held it straight in the air, pointing up. Within a second, a dome of pure blue ice had grown from the gunman's hand, shielding the gunman and the victim from the Titans. No sound came through, and all that could be seen were the two dark forms, blurred through the ice.

Julia bit her lip, leaning forward to see better. The Titans had started to attack the ice shield, trying to break it.

However, their attempts were futile. The shield seemed to be extremely thick, and rock hard. Even Beast Boy, as an elephant, could not move the dome. Cyborg's sonic cannon and Starfire's blasts bounced off the shining surface, and Robin's exploding devices barely chipped the ice.

Annoyed, Robin whirled around to look at Raven, who was throwing trashcans at the shield with her powers.

"Raven!" he shouted. "Can you teleport inside and get the victim?"

The empath shook her head, levitating a nearby broken car and hurling it at the shield. The car merely crumpled against the ice, and Raven threw it away.

"I can't," she replied flatly. " I don't know exactly where he is, so I can't teleport him out without going in myself. If I do, the victim and myself have a chance of being shot."

Robin said something that sounded like a swear under his breath, then threw a few more exploding devices at the shield. They didn't even cause a dent.

"How're we supposed to get through, then?" Beast Boy asked, changing back into himself.

"Yeah, anybody got any bright ideas?" Cyborg added, adjusting his sonic cannon. He fired a more concentrated blast on the ice, which just ricocheted off into the sky.

"Perhaps we need something stronger?" Starfire asked. She shot green laser beams from her eyes, but they rebounded from the shield, forcing the alien princess to dodge them.

"That's it!" Robin said, looking around for some inspiration. "We need something so powerful, like raw energy, that it'll shatter the ice. Or something that'll cut right through it."

"We can't cut through the ice," Raven mentioned. "We could accidentally cut through the victim inside."

"Yeah, but the shattering idea could work!" Beast Boy replied excitedly.

"As long as the shards don't fall on the victim," Cyborg pointed out. "That could hurt him."

Raven shrugged.

"I could levitate the shards away," she remarked evenly.

"But where will we find such energy that will break the ice?" Starfire questioned, flying back and forth. Pausing, she shot a few starbursts at the shield, which remained as solid and unmoving as ever.

"Search me," Beast Boy shrugged.

There was the sound of muffled shouting from inside the ice dome. It seemed that the attacker and the victim were yelling at each other.

"We don't have much time," Raven commented, throwing handfuls of her dark power, in vain.

Robin made a frustrated noise as he turned on the spot, looking around for something, anything to help him, or give him an idea.

Then his eyes fell on Julia, who was sitting in the T-Car, hugging her knees to herself.

"Julia," he breathed.

"What?" his four other teammates asked, in unison. They stared at Robin, then at Julia, who, upon seeing them looking at her, had looked startled and hunched down a bit more in her seat.

"We can use Julia," Robin exclaimed. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Julia! Come out here! We need your help!"

Julia, hearing Robin calling her, hesitantly stepped out of the T-Car and walked over to the Boy Wonder, her arms folded defensively. She'd never been in a fight that used powers before. She didn't like the feeling. Hand-to-hand combat and such she could handle. Superpowers, not so much.

"Yeah?" the girl asked, stopping in front of the team leader. Robin looked straight into her eyes.

"We need you to help us break that dome of ice," he informed her, jerking his thumb back at the shield. "If you use some of your lightning, we could have a chance of splintering it."

The Asian girl looked at Raven, who had landed and walked over to listen. The others were attempting to break into the dome again, with no luck.

"A concentrated blast of lightning could work," Raven remarked to Julia. She lowered her hood, her eyes thoughtful. "Or, if you don't have that kind of power, lightning from the sky. That might be better, actually." All three of them glanced up at the dark clouds, which had obscured the setting sun.

"I - I don't know," Julia replied, her voice unsteady. "I've never done anything that big, and I don't know if I can control it or not. What if I miss?"

"Dude, you can't miss that kind of target," Beast Boy said, walking by the small group. "It's huge."

Raven shot the changeling a look, then looked back to Julia.

"You've worked on shooting lightning," she replied calmly. "You've done it before."

"Not from the clouds," Julia argued. "What if I hit one of us?"

Robin's eyes widened slightly in horror, but Raven just said, "You have to trust yourself. I'll give you directions, and you just have to do them." The empath nodded towards the ice dome. "Think of it as another lesson."

Julia swallowed hard, taking a few steps towards the shield. It towered over her, looking bigger close up than when she'd been in the T-Car. Taking a strong stance, she looked at Raven.

"What do I have to do?"

The other Titans had stopped attacking the dome, and had fallen back, watching. Holding their breaths. Raven came to stand next to Julia, her hood back up.

"Take deep breaths, as if you're meditating. Find your center, and control it."

Inhaling and exhaling, Julia found that her body was shaking with nervousness and fear, her breath rattling in her lungs. She closed her eyes.

"Calm down. Deep breath, hold, and out. You're done this before. You can do it now."

From behind her, Julia could hear Robin pacing back and forth. It didn't help her nerves. She forced herself to breathe evenly, until her heart had slowed down. Finding the center of her power, she clasped it.

"Good." Raven's voice was low and calm. Was she as uneasy as Julia felt? "Now take a handful of your power. Send it above you, to the clouds. Let it immerse the clouds."

Still breathing in and out, Julia complied. Her power streamed from her to the dark clouds. If she'd opened her eyes, she would've seen a jet of sparking violet power, flowing from her hands, which were facing upwards by her sides, to the sky. The clouds soaked in the power.

Raven continued talking, her voice even.

"Control the clouds. Put yourself into the clouds. Strengthen them with your power."

Slowly, the clouds above began to glow a light purple from Julia's power. Across the city, people pointed upwards at them, stopping to stare in fear and awe. It was working. The other Titans were watching Raven and Julia, tense.

"Now, look for the lightning. It's in there. You know what it is. Gather it."

Julia absorbed the mass of electrons and negative energy in the clouds. Lightning collected within her power, flickering unevenly. It pulsed, unpredictable raw energy. Taking a deep breath, Julia grasped the lightning. She could do this. It wasn't so hard.

"Once you have it, aim it towards the ice dome. Concentrate the lightning, and let it stream to the ground and meet the charge as it wants to. Nudge it in the right direction, to the right spot."

The Asian girl felt herself calm down slightly as she continued breathing steadily. One shot, and that was all that mattered. The city was silent, as if it was holding its breath, waiting. Watching.

Then, suddenly, there came a shout from inside the dome, followed by a loud thud. Julia lost her concentration, her heart skipping a beat and her control breaking completely. The stream of her power connecting her to the clouds disappeared, and the energy faded from the clouds.

Gasping, the girl opened her eyes. Unknown to her, beads of sweat were dripping down her face. Julia looked at Raven pleadingly.

"Raven. I can't do this. It's too much power. I - I can't control it."

Behind her, the Titans held a whispered discussion, their voices low and urgent. The noise was like an annoying buzz in Julia's ears.

Raven frowned. Her eyes were hard as she lowered her hood to glare at Julia.

"Yes, you can," she responded curtly. "You just don't have enough confidence in yourself."

Julia shook her head, breathing hard, as if she'd run a marathon. Shoving her hair back, she bit her lip.

"But I can't do this!" she cried, her voice insistent. "It's too much for me. I can't control this much power. I've never done this much before. What if I do it wrong? What if I hit the wrong place, or I lose control and the lightning gets out of hand? What if-"

"Enough!" Raven interrupted, her voice cold. "You need to calm yourself. Try again. Take deep breaths, control your power, send it to the clouds."

Shaking, Julia obeyed, her grip on her power unsteady. She finally summoned the lightning from the clouds, and took a deep breath. Her heart hammered inside her chest, and the flow of power from herself to the clouds trembled.

"We need this to go faster," Robin called over to them, as there were a few more shouts and thuds from inside the ice dome. "Maybe we should try something else."

Raven turned her head slightly to look at the others.

"You're not helping anyone by saying that," she remarked coolly. "Just stay quiet."

Hearing this small conversation, Julia's attention wavered again. She stared at the ice dome, trying to focus.

"I can't do this, I can't do this," she muttered under her breath, her teeth gritted. Her fingers ached, and her head throbbed. She felt light-headed as she shook from trepidation.

"_Calm down,_" Raven commanded. "You _can_ do this. You need to have faith in yourself."

Breathing in short, quick breaths, Julia furrowed her brows, trying to concentrate. A lightning bolt inched itself down from the sparking clouds, extending towards the ground like a glowing finger.

As Julia's breath hitched in her throat, the lightning withdrew, disappearing into the clouds once more. The Titans let out the breath that they'd been holding, and Robin made an irritated noise in his throat, which added to Julia's stress.

"I can't do this!" Julia exclaimed, her voice octaves too high. Tears of frustration and fear were pooling in her eyes, as sweat dripped down her face. "I can't control it!"

Lightning flickered through the clouds, thundering in the taut silence.

"Try again," Raven ordered, her voice severe. "Try again, Julia."

Her tears mingling with the sweat on her face, Julia squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth and she forced her powers to work. She couldn't do something this hard, she couldn't control this much power. Something wrong was going to happen.

Another lightning bolt dipped towards the ground once more, then retreated. Abruptly, three smaller lightning bolts darted from the mass of dark clouds in a flash of light, and struck three tall skyscrapers, the lightning running down the metal to the ground.

Julia held her breath, her face screwed up in deliberation. Her braid crackled with electricity as her hands glowed with her lightning. As a thick lightning bolt extended from the clouds, the girl opened her eyes, which were glowing violet, too bright to see her irises or pupils.

Unexpectedly, from the city's telescope dome, a thick red laser shot towards the lightning and collided with it with a crash like thunder. The resulting explosion shook the entire city, red and yellow sparks flying and raining down like fireworks. The sky was lit with an eerie orange light.

Gasping, Julia stumbled back a few steps as if a force had hit her head-on. Alarmed, Robin looked towards the source of the red laser. Someone had tried to stop them. Swiftly, the Boy Wonder rapped out commands.

"Cyborg, Beast Boy, Star - the three of you and I are going to the telescope dome to investigate the source of the laser. Raven, stay with Julia to deal with the dome, and get the gunman."

The Titans all nodded in assent, their faces revealing their edginess. They didn't like being helpless, and unable to do anything.

"Good. Teen Titans, GO!"

As the four of them ran/flew off, Julia gasped for breath. Her head ached, and her body felt like jelly after the shock of the collision. Falling to one knee, she looked up at Raven, who was staring up at the sky.

"Raven. I can't -"

A single gunshot rang through the air, the sound loud even through the thick ice. The sound pierced Julia's heart like a knife, and she gasped. Both she and Raven looked at the ice shield, as there was a muffled thump, as if someone had fallen.

"No!"

Abruptly, the ice shield shattered as five bolts of lightning sprang from Julia's body, colliding with the dome and breaking it into pieces.

The gunman inside, seeing that his protection had been destroyed, ran for his life, as Raven pursued him. Shooting ice from his hands, the blond attacker created a road of ice to skate on as Raven flew behind him. In a few seconds, the two had disappeared down the road.

Slowly, Julia got to her feet, as the dust cleared. Walking over to the fallen victim, who was lying facedown on the ground, she knelt beside him, trembling. Reaching a hand out, the girl touched the inside of his wrist. There was no pulse.

Still in a kind of daze, she took the young man's shoulder, then turned him over so that he was lying on his back. As her eyes fell on the man's face, her heart leaped into her throat, and her breath caught.

It was Roger.

Julia's mind seemed to be frozen as she stared at the person she knew so well. Roger's eyes were closed, and blood was spilling from the small wound at the center of his chest. His face was bruised, as though he had been punched more than once.

"No."

The Asian girl breathed that single word. Getting to her feet, she closed her eyes, but the sight of her 'brother' remained etched in her mind, splayed on the ground. Dead. Because of her.

Then she started running.

Her mind was blank. Her legs seemed to be acting on their own accord as she ran from the alley, from the street, from the scene. She left her dead 'brother' on the ground, and the T-Car, and ran.


	20. Guilt

**A/N:** I just watched most of the fifth Teen Titans season, and I was a little iffy on it. I liked some of the episodes (including "Lightspeed" and "Hide and Seek"), but some of them not so much. "Calling All Titans" and "Titans Together" was definitely exciting. Kid Flash now ranks second on my list of favorite characters (Red X being the first).

Anyway, here's the chapter.

* * *

It wasn't until Julia spotted the familiar front of the apartment building that she realized where she had taken herself: her home.

Dashing to the front door, the girl expertly picked the lock, unlocking the several secret security measures that they had installed. It was a precaution.

Once inside the small entrance, Julia shut the door behind her. The sound echoed in the empty area. There didn't seem to be anyone around. Climbing the tight, winding stairs, the girl came to the next floor, where she was greeted with the sight of the kitchen, living room, and hallway.

It had been awhile since she'd been home. As she stared around her, her heart ached slightly in her chest. But for the most part, it had gone cold and solid.

The door at the end of the hallway, the door to her room, was ajar. Her mind still strangely blank, Julia walked towards it, then pushed the door open.

The glass doors to the balcony, replaced with new ones, were open, letting in the breeze. The room was exactly as she had left it, looking as though she had lived in it for all those months. Except for one thing.

Damien was sitting on the bed, his head in his hands, his elbows propped on his legs as he stared at the ground. When Julia stepped into the room, he looked up at her, looking entirely unsurprised to see her. His face reflected Julia's emotions - blank, shocked.

For a moment they were suspended in the moment, Julia standing in front of her friend, Damien sitting on the bed, both of them staring at each other.

Then Damien stood up, Julia walked over to him, and they embraced each other.

As Julia buried her face in Damien's shoulder - when had he grown so much? - she closed her eyes, finally feeling comfort. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed Damien, all those months. But no one could replace him.

Finally she looked up at him.

"Damien." Her voice cracked, from emotion, strain, or tiredness, she didn't know. "About Roger. He's…gone."

Damien's arms tightened around her slightly.

"I know," he replied, his voice quiet. "I heard about it."

Which was when Julia finally let herself cry. She, who never cried, except in the worst of times. Damien sat on the bed, letting Julia lean into him and cry into his shoulder as he held her close.

A few minutes later, Julia's tears had subsided, and she was quiet, resting against Damien. Her heart, which had been frozen and stony, was now raw and sore. She sighed, hiccupping once in awhile.

After a moment, Damien pulled away, then leaned over the edge of the bed. From under the bed, he took out two boxes - one medium sized, one very small. He held them out to Julia, who looked at them in perplexity.

"Roger and I heard about your fake birthday," Damien explained, giving them to Julia. "And we knew that we hadn't been able to give you a real birthday party. So…we got you these."

Julia began to open the smallest box, but Damien stopped her.

"Open them up later," he told her, smiling slightly. "You'll know why."

He fished out a paper bag with handles, and gave it to the Asian girl, who put the boxes in, then hugged him. The fact that Damien and Roger had remembered her birthday, and made an attempt to still give her presents…she couldn't hope for better friends. One of which was gone, and she'd never be able to thank.

Julia felt tears prickling her eyes again, but she pushed them away. Crying wouldn't help anything, at this point. She'd cried enough.

"I just - I didn't know it was him," she said, softly. "I didn't know it was Roger."

Damien frowned.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused.

Julia lay back on the bed. She stared at the ceiling as Damien turned to look at her.

"I was there," Julia explained softly. "With the Titans. I drove them to the scene. There was a dome made of ice surrounding Roger and the gunman. They couldn't break it, so they - they asked me to."

"With your powers?!" Damien demanded, scowling. Julia nodded, closing her eyes.

"Yes. I…tried. I really tried, Damien, but…I couldn't do it until after Roger had been shot. Even then, it was an accident." She opened her eyes again and turned her head to look at her friend. "If I'd known it was Roger, I could've broken the ice shield faster. I could've saved him. _Would've_ saved him, if I'd known. But I couldn't."

Damien groaned, putting his head in his hands. Julia bit her lip, sitting back up.

"Damien, I'm sorry. I really tried to save Roger, but-"

The youth shook his head, looking at Julia once more.

"I'm not blaming you for that," he interrupted. "It's just that…the Titans made you use your powers? I thought they were supposed to help you _control_ them."

Guiltily, Julia looked away.

"They were. But I found out that if I don't use my powers, they explode out of my control, whether I meditate or not. So…I have to use them. If I don't, accidents can happen." When Damien groaned again, looking frustrated, Julia pressed on, "The Titans are helping me with this, Damien. They're not bad. I mean - I'm not doing much with my powers. I'm still the same person. I still remember how to do hand-to-hand combat and everything. I haven't forgotten."

There was a long silence, painfully still for Julia. She looked down at her lap, for the first time feeling ashamed.

"I guess I should to leave." Julia stood up, not looking at Damien. She wiped her eyes on her sleeves and took a deep breath, resolutely. "The Titans will be looking for me, and-"

"Hold on," Damien cut in, getting to his feet. He frowned slightly. "You're leaving?"

The Asian girl looked faintly surprised.

"Yeah," she replied, looking up at him. "I mean, when they see that I'm not at the T-Car-"

"You're still leaving, even after what happened with Roger?" Damien demanded, incredulously. Julia felt like he'd stabbed a knife into her chest. Was she betraying her 'brother' by going back to the Titans?

She swallowed, breathing in deeply.

"I have to go back," she said, her voice low. "If the Titans don't find me, they'll come searching, and track me down here. And they might see you, and find out who you are."

A mocking smile appeared on Damien's face, making Julia look away.

"I don't think that's why you're so keen on going back to the Titans," he retorted. "You _want_ to go back to them, rather than stay here." _With me_, he seemed to be adding, silently.

Julia looked back up at the youth, her face anguished.

"It's not like that!" she protested, half angrily. "It's-"

"Listen to yourself," Damien interjected, derisively. " 'The Titans are helping me', 'They're not bad'. You're happier with them, and you can't wait to meet up with them again."

"No!" Julia argued, heatedly. She could feel tears beginning to prick her eyes once more. "I want to stay here with you. I really do. But going back to the Titans, finishing my training…it's what he would've wanted," she finished, her voice quiet. "It's what Roger would've wanted. You know that."

Damien mutely shook his head, turning to look outside. The clouds had gotten darker, and had blanketed the dark night sky. Julia stared at the youth's back, feeling her sore heart tighten, choking her.

Eventually, she picked up the bag, turned around, and left.


	21. Two Way Trust

**A/N:** I have to admit that no, I've never had someone close to me die. I don't know the experience. But when I wrote this, I imagined that my close sibling had died, and so I had some kind of an idea of what it would be like. For me, anyway. And trust me - it was depressing just thinking about it.

* * *

The Titans found Julia sitting cross-legged at the dock nearest to the Tower. They didn't say anything as they let her back into the T-Car, nor when they arrived at the Tower. They didn't even make a comment on the paper bag that she was holding close to her side, refusing to part with it.

As soon as she was back in the Tower, Julia gathered up her gifts and bags, and went to her room, where she let everything drop to the ground. As she did, her eye caught the two boxes that Damien had given her, from himself and Roger.

_Open them later_, he'd told her. _You'll know why_.

Hesitantly, the Asian girl picked up the small and medium-sized boxes. Sitting on her bed, she lifted the bigger one to her lap, first. On the side of the box, which was wrapped in red paper, was a tag that said, "From: Roger". Blinking back tears, the girl opened the box.

Inside was a pair of slim black boots with inch-long high heels. Julia suddenly remembered seeing them once before, months ago. She'd been walking down the streets with Damien and Roger, and spotted the shoes in a store window. She'd stopped and stared at them wistfully, until Roger had pulled her away, saying that they were only boots, after all.

But he'd remembered that she'd loved those boots, and wanted them. He'd remembered, and bought them for her. Julia closed her eyes for a long moment, until she'd gotten a hold on her emotions. Then she took out the smaller box.

It was also wrapped in red paper, and had a tag saying, "From: Damien." Tearing apart the wrapping paper, Julia glimpsed the name of a jewelry store before she opened the box.

It was a pair of earrings, sterling silver, with a dangling yellow lightning bolt on each earring. They matched perfectly with the clothes that the Titans had gotten her, as if they had come with the outfit.

For a long moment, the Asian girl sat on her bed, unmoving, silent. She stared at the earrings, thinking. Her eyes were completely dry, and her face somber.

Finally, Julia stood up. Slowly, she began to clean up the gifts. Changing her mind, she changed into the new clothes, putting on the sleeveless red shirt, and the jeans with the lightning bolts on the sides. After buckling on the belt with the lightning medallion, she slid the metal arm guards over her forearms. As a last touch, the girl slipped on the black boots, and hung the lightning earrings in her ears.

Gazing at herself in the mirror, she had only one thought: _I look like a Titan now._

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

Julia turned, seeing Robin in the door frame of her room, arms crossed. He'd come in without her noticing. Uncomfortably, the girl looked away from him. She hadn't realized that she'd said her thoughts out loud.

"It's not a bad thing," Julia said quietly, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked so different, so…un-Julia-like. Reaching up, she took off the hair band that tied her braid together. Combing her hair loose with her fingers, Julia parted her hair to one side, then let the extra hair fall over one side of her face, hiding one of her eyes.

There. She looked more like her old self. The one she'd been with Roger and Damien, and the one that had been fading ever since she'd come to live with the Titans.

Trying not to think about this, Julia looked over to see Robin still standing in her doorway, watching her closely. Examining her.

* * *

She seemed less and less like the thief Athene, Robin thought to himself, looking at Julia as she touched up her new costume. But somehow, a little more. The loose hair made her look more like Athene, and the way some of it hid half of her face…well, it reminded Robin eerily of Slade.

But the way she reacted to the victim's death…it wasn't like a thief to mourn over an innocent's death. From the tear tracks on her face, Julia looked liked she'd been crying over it. Surely a thief wouldn't feel that much guilt over someone he or she didn't even know.

Thinking this over, Robin stared at Julia. Perhaps she wasn't Athene, after all.

* * *

"So," Robin commented, leaning on the door frame. He crossed his arms. "About what happened this evening."

Julia didn't say anything. The Boy Wonder was still observing her carefully. She felt like his eyes, even behind his mask, were x-raying her for information.

"What happened?" Robin prodded, when the girl was silent for a long moment.

"I don't want to talk about it," Julia said finally. Turning her back on the team leader, she picked up the empty boxes and bags and began to clear them up.

"Do you trust me?"

Robin's question caught her by surprise. Straightening, Julia turned to look at him. The Boy Wonder looked completely serious. He really wanted to know if she, a suspected thief, trusted him.

"I want to." Unbidden, the words had spilled from her mouth. She hadn't meant to say them, but they'd come out. The truth.

"And do you want me to trust you?" Robin continued.

Julia met his eyes.

"Yes."

That, too, had come out without her wanting it to. A few months ago, she wouldn't have cared what Robin thought about her. She wouldn't have cared if he liked her, accepted her, respected her, or trusted her. But now…

Turning away again, Julia gathered up the boxes and bags and crumpled them into a tight ball of paper, then stuffed them into the trash can near her desk. She could see where Robin was going, dimly.

"Julia." Robin's voice made the girl straighten. She didn't turn to face him, but listened emotionlessly, staring at the blank wall in front of her. "Trust is a two-way thing. I can't trust or open up to you until you do the same thing for me, first."

His words brought on a sudden flare of anger in Julia, triggering the tumult of angry emotions that had building up inside her, ever since the Titans had asked her to save Roger. Ever since Damien had turned his back on her.

Whirling around, Julia glared at Robin, her eyes blazing.

"Is it really?" she demanded, her voice ice cold. "Are you saying that, if I tell you what happened, you would automatically trust and respect me like one of your own team members, even after what happened this evening?"

For the first time, Robin was the one to break eye contact first. He looked away, having the grace to look slightly uncomfortable.

"Well…"

Julia smiled bitterly.

"That's what I thought," she said. Raising her hand, she used a gust of wind to slam the door shut in the Boy Wonder's face.

* * *

Days passed, and Julia refused to leave her room. After a week, Starfire gave up knocking on her door each morning to get her to come out. Instead, the Titans left her alone, to stew in her own misery. Or so they thought.

Julia was partly stewing in her own misery. The rest of the time, she was sitting in front of her large windows, staring outside at the city and the Bay. She didn't cry, nor throw a temper tantrum. She merely stayed silent, thinking on a distant level, and ignoring the periodic alarms that went off in the Tower.

It was only at night, when everyone else was asleep, that the Asian girl came out of her room. She would slip out of her room noiselessly, then swiftly make her way to the Operations Room to get food for the next day, when she would stay in her room. Bathroom breaks were whenever she knew the Titans wouldn't come across her.

She needed to be alone, to think.

And Julia had a lot to think about, namely Roger's death and Damien's disgust at who she was and what she had done. She had to ponder what her future would look like. What she should do, after everything that had happened, and what she wanted. Both were hazy topics that seemed unreal at times, out of reach and understanding.

Roger's death was her fault. That much she knew for sure. And lately, nothing else seemed to be certain.


	22. Tornado

**A/N:** So I haven't posted anything for a bit because I wanted to give people a chance to catch up on reading, since I've been posting like mad. Three chapters a day is a lot. I'll probably post three chapters every other day, or something. Keep up the reading and reviewing!

* * *

On the morning of the thirteenth day after her fake birthday (she refused to think of it as the day Roger died, or the day Damien had cold-shouldered her), Julia sat once again in front of her window, in a comfortable chair. A small nightstand stood next to her, holding a few books.

Despite always being an avid bookworm, Julia couldn't be tempted by books after what had happened. They had seemed all too lifeless, their details of grief and sorrow pale in comparison to the real truth.

Letting her mind drift in something like meditation, the Asian girl let her right hand, draped on one of the dusty books, lazily make a rounded pattern over a circle embossed on the cover. Her index finger traced the edges, soothed by the repeating pattern, something that had no end and no beginning. Reliable, and always the same.

The surrounding air, curiously, began to follow her finger around, flowing counterclockwise in a circle. Noticing this, Julia froze, her hand still. The wind died, settling once more.

Intrigue faintly penetrated Julia's numb mind. Sitting up a little, she experimentally twirled her finger in the same counterclockwise direction. Once again, the wind followed her movement, this time spiraling upwards. Like a small twister.

Julia shifted her position so that she was kneeling on her chair. For the first time in weeks, she summoned her power.

It was simmering quietly inside her, beginning to tangle with neglect. As soon as she came in contact with it, however, the power surged through the girl, wrenching out of her grip for a moment and scorching the book cover beneath her hand.

Cringing, Julia yanked her hand away, using her other hand to shove the book to the side. She _hated_ when her powers got loose. Recently, more than ever.

Taking a deep breath, the Asian girl nudged her power once more, this time taking a firm handle on it. This much, at least, she could do with confidence. It streamed smoothly to her hand in a steady trickle, and settled there, wavering from her unstable control.

Julia narrowed her eyes. She _would_ control it, no matter what. The incident on her fake birthday was not going to be repeated. She was going to make sure of that.

Inhaling and exhaling in meditation-style, the girl used her power to gather a loose breeze that was floating lazily around her room. It came to her at once, twining itself around her hand in answer to her summons.

Smiling slightly at this, Julia tentatively flexed her hand, then moved it in the same clockwise direction. The waft of air pursued the movement, repeating the direction until it began spiraling upwards. It spun on the spot, expanding as Julia made the circle larger, until it was as wide as a large bowl. When the girl pulled it gently off the table and onto the floor, the small whirlwind spilled onto the ground and continued twisting and rotating upwards, coming to the height of her nightstand.

Experimentally, Julia pulled her hand away from the twister, disconnecting the supply of power flowing to her creation. Abruptly, it collapsed, the air dispersing and settling normally.

Cursing under her breath – she didn't even know why she was frustrated – Julia leapt out of her chair and threw herself at her desk, where she powered up her idling computer. It whirred to life, and began turning up website after website as the girl searched the internet for information – tornadoes, hurricanes, mesocyclones, thunderstorms.

There was something desperate, and yet impulsive, of Julia's manner. Her eyes feverishly scanned articles that described the formation of storms, the conditions and mechanisms to create the powerful forces of nature.

And when she had found what she needed, the teenager printed off pages of diagrams, pictures, and notes. Gathering them together, along with the weather book that Raven had given her for her 'birthday', she left her room at a run. She didn't stop as she sprinted past Starfire, or when she almost crashed into a sleepy Beast Boy dragging his way to the bathroom.

Her goal was the roof, and nothing was going to impede her.

* * *

Stepping lightly through the corridors of the Tower, Raven paused at the sight of a stunned-looking Beast Boy, standing dazedly in the hall. Usually, a confused-looking Beast Boy wasn't strange, especially in the morning, but the changeling looked even more baffled than usual.

As the empath approached him, Beast Boy blinked at her.

"That was weird," he told her, rubbing sleep-deprived eyes (no doubt a result from him staying up late to beat some video game high scores).

Raven was about to make a tart remark that had something to do with the changeling's lack of intelligence, when Beast Boy said something that made her freeze.

"_I just saw Julia_."

For a second, Raven was astonished. Julia, out of her room? After weeks of isolation, the girl had suddenly come out of hiding and strolled past Beast Boy?

"Which way?"

The girl's voice was sharp. Beast Boy pointed towards the stairway that led to the roof, then ambled down the hallway once more, heading towards the bathroom. The empath, however, swept past him, opening the door to the stairs and beginning to climb the steps.

* * *

Up on the roof, Julia ordered the wind around her to still, as she spread her papers and book out on the roof floor. Obligingly, they calmed down, leaving the normally windy rooftop deathly calm. Not a paper fluttered from its place.

Holding her breath, the girl reviewed the notes and diagrams once more, then moved them aside. They would only get in the way for what came next. Her experiments would have to be conducted closer to the edge of the roof, and farther from the stairway door. If it was too close to the edge, there was a chance that it could escape over the side and into the water. If it was too near the door, it could rip the door off its hinges.

Striding to the brink of the roof, Julia straightened her back, breathing in deeply. She hadn't been out of the Tower in weeks, and suddenly, she felt herself missing the wild air of the outside. A gust of wind plucked at her clothes and hair playfully, the only way it could express the delight of connecting to her again.

Julia took a few steps back from the rim, closing her eyes. She felt elated, her excitement humming through her veins – or was it her unleashed power? – and making her skin tingle.

Never mind that she had once been afraid of the power within her. Never mind that she hadn't used her power for weeks. Never mind that what she was about to do, way beyond any experiments that she'd ever tried before, could have drastic results.

Now, she was going to be in control. And she was going to bend her power to her will and shape it to her wishes.

Minutes passed by, as Julia calmly breathed in and out, establishing a strong control over her powers. It wriggled in her grip, slipping through the mental shield of her determination. But after some time went by, it quieted, and began to pulse gently to the rhythm of her breathing.

When she was sure that her powers were contained, Julia opened her eyes again. Lifting one hand, she called for a breeze. It came quickly to her, anticipating her summons.

Power surged to the girl's hands, flowing in a restrained stream from her torso, through her arms, and to her palms, one of which hung by her side, and the other facing downward and held in front of her.

Using the hand gripping the wind, Julia began to rotate it in a clockwise direction, slowly. The gust of air mimicked the movement and twisted on one spot, spiraling upwards. Step one, done.

Lifting her other hand, the girl made the same spinning motion, but clockwise, above her other hand. Another breeze drifted over to follow the action, but hesitated. It wasn't meant to rotate in the opposite direction of the other wind. It bucked and resisted Julia's power, tugging to spin in the counterclockwise direction instead.

Julia gritted her teeth as sweat formed on her forehead. She would not be challenged, least of all by a mere fistful of air. She slammed it with a wave of her power, shoving it in the right direction.

Meekly, the wind obeyed, and began to spin in the clockwise direction. Julia smiled grimly, concentrating on keeping her hands rotating in opposite directions, one on top of the other.

Slowly, the twister began to form. The lower warm air twirled upwards, counterclockwise, and the higher cool air spun downwards, clockwise. They merged together, the rising air wrapping itself outside of the falling air, the descending air equalizing the vacuum that the ascending air created. The twister expanded slightly, elongating until it was the girl's own height.

Satisfied, Julia maintained the steady flow of power to the small whirlwind. Then, cautiously, she began to break off from it, letting the air run its own natural course.

The cyclone defied her stubbornly. It didn't need her power, but it wanted it. It wanted to control her power, use it to grow and let loose. Of course, it didn't want to remain at the same, steady pace. It wanted to swell in size, and dominate.

Julia cursed under her breath, barely aware of the aching in her muscles as she tensed. Drops of sweat rolled down the sides of her face, then were whipped away by the wind.

Grabbing her power in one fist, the girl bore down on the gust of wind resolutely.

"You _will_ do what I want," she muttered under her breath, unaware that she was speaking aloud. She strengthened her power with iron will, putting her anger – anger that had been building up inside her for weeks – behind it all.

Then she let go.

For a moment, the twister trembled, unsteady.

Then, it straightened vertically, pulling in wisps of wind around it. Dust and dirt on the ground whipped up into its gleeful folds, making it visible. The air rushed in spinning movements, gusting powerfully. It was a mini, but fully fledged, twister.

Triumphant, Julia stepped back. Her hair was lying lank, and her face glistened with sweat, but she didn't care. Her project, her experiment, her creation, was a success. And she was in control once more.

Something inside her, a small part of her mind, whispered that just because she could control her powers, didn't mean that she could control her life.

But the girl ignored that part. For the moment, her new whirlwind, her new _tornado_, was all that mattered.

* * *

In the darkness of the unlit stairway, a single violet eye gazed from behind the roof door, which was open a crack. Raven had watched as Julia had performed her feat, and gone against all odds to create something that she shouldn't have been able to create.

Whatever had really happened, thirteen days ago, it had done something to the Asian girl.

* * *

A few floors below, Robin sat in his workroom, an area littered with pieces of clues, and articles and pictures posted on the walls. In the center, a plain wooden desk stood, supporting piles of papers and a computer, which was humming contentedly. For the first time in awhile, it wasn't being used for research.

The Boy Wonder leaned back in his wooden chair, absorbing everything that he'd seen on the screen. On his way out of the gym, he had met a surprised Starfire, who had informed him that she'd seen Julia dash past her in the hall.

Curious and even a bit suspicious, Robin had headed straight to his workroom and pulled open the views of all the cameras in the Tower. It had taken him a minute, but he had found it – Julia, standing on the roof.

Now, after witnessing what the girl had done, the team leader put his mind to work. Julia had left the sanctuary of her room for the first time in weeks, possibly in order to work her experiment outside of her room.

But what had motivated this new project? What had driven her to use the powers that, Robin had once observed, caused her to shrink away in fear?

Perhaps it was the body of the youth that Robin had found in the alleyway, whom he had identified as Roger Keating, a resident of Jump City. But was it the death of the victim that had bothered Julia, or the victim himself?

It was a question that the Boy Wonder would have to mull over.


	23. Passion for Justice

**A/N:** I just have to share something that really amused me the other day. It's a clip of a comic. Batgirl is Barbara Gordon (the DCAU version). She's been following ManBat (no joke), but ended up having her batline (or whatever they call it) getting caught on ManBat (who's flying around) and being dragged through the air for quite a while. Eventually Batman uses his ultra-special mechanical bat wings to catch Batgirl (who's incredibly dizzy). The dialogue goes like this:

Batman: Are you all right?

Batgirl: I...I'm okay...thanks. But...I didn't really need...saving...I had the sitch under control...

Batman: Yes, I can _see_ that.

Batgirl: Okay...so...anyhoo...which way did Batman go?

Batman: _I'm_ Batman.

And that just cracked me up because they always have Batman saying that line ("I'm Batman.") in the comics to explain how he can get away with so much stuff. So I thought that was funny. Or maybe I'm just crazy. On with the story!

* * *

Despite her success, Julia woke up at noon the next day, having slept for sixteen hours. Her experiment had left her drained and tired, almost empty of power and strength. However, it had done something that she'd needed - it had roused her from the stupor that had held her for the last thirteen days.

So it was to the surprise of the Titans when Julia entered the Operations Room around one o'clock. She walked wearily into the room, and made a beeline for the kitchen, where she slowly began to search for cereal and milk (forgetting that it was lunch time, instead of breakfast).

The Asian girl's appearance was certainly different from the last time that they'd seen her. Her hair, usually brushed and shiny, was rumpled and a little tangled, and there were shadows under her eyes. It was evident that she hadn't been working out for awhile - she moved as though used to a lighter frame. Her new costume, too, was wrinkled, while her metal forearm guards didn't shine.

Still, it was a shock that Julia was even out of her room. After a moment, the Titans went back to what they were doing, which was having a brief meeting at the front of the room, where Robin was talking.

* * *

After a few minutes of eating her cereal dry - the Titans had run out of milk and not bothered to get more - Julia noticed what the subject of the meeting was: the incident two weeks ago.

Robin was speaking in a low voice, gesturing once and awhile to the screen, where a portrait of Roger - his senior school picture from two years ago - was currently pulled up.

Looking down at her cereal bowl, Julia strained her ears to hear what the Boy Wonder was saying.

"-found his ID. His name is Roger Keating, twenty years old, a citizen of Jump City. He apparently came out to live here two years ago, and has a career in technology."

Hearing this, Julia felt her lips twitch into a smile. Roger's real past time was more than just technology – he modified existing devices and developed new and improved ones, mainly for spy work. His part time job was – had been - at a technology store.

"He must've been at the store at the time," Robin continued, "and gotten cornered or something. I was going to contact his family-" Julia's grip on the spoon suddenly tightened "-but the police beat me to it."

Pulse speeding up, Julia felt her mind working again. The police had contacted the Keatings? Would they try to contact her? Or did she not appear on the records anymore?

Robin went on. "As for the mugger, the one who had ice powers, I haven't tracked him down yet. Raven said he disappeared outside of town. There's a chance that he either knows how to teleport, or he knows someone who can teleport. Or become invisible. Either way, this is dangerous. He's working with someone else, perhaps more people, and we need to find out who these people are."

Julia heard Cyborg's voice break in.

"And the red laser? The one from the observatory? Did you get anything on that?"

The Boy Wonder's voice was grim.

"No. Since we didn't find anything there, not even any clues…it's difficult to track something without evidence." His voice sounded edgy, as if he was frustrated at the prospect of failing. "It's probable that the whoever shot the laser worked with the ice guy. We need to get to the bottom of this."

Finished with her cereal, Julia stood up, putting away her dirty dishes and trying to be as quiet as possible. Despite this, the Titans quieted at the sound of her clattering around the kitchen. The Asian girl turned to leave.

"Julia."

Robin's voice drifted across the space and stopped her in her tracks. Julia turned around slowly to face the team, who were looking at her.

"Did you see the ice guy?" Robin questioned, his brow furrowed. "Any features that you noticed?" When Julia paused, he added, "We need any information that we can get. If we can get a basic description of the guy, we can search for him."

For a moment, Julia grappled with her thoughts, trying to remember something, anything.

She couldn't. All the details of that evening had blurred against the grief.

Finally, the girl shook her head.

"No," she replied quietly. In the silence of the room, the word rang out clearly. "I didn't notice anything."

Turning away, she left the room.

* * *

Julia's previous excitement at creating the twister had left her, leaving a burning determination that seemed to simmer inside her, under the surface.

The girl was filled with a passion to get to work, and do something. She began to visit the gym again, but only when the Titans weren't there. She went to the roof whenever it was empty to practice her old skills, and build on her new ones.

Julia even began to go to the Operations Room, even if it was just to get a quick bite to eat, or stare out of the Tower windows while the Titans were on another mission. She was slowly going back to her normal routine, but with one difference – she was motivated.

If she could somehow find who had killed Roger, find the man and bring him to justice…perhaps everything would be all right.

The idea was appealing to her. After all, it wasn't a hard goal. Track, search, capture. There was nothing complicated about that.

How wrong she really was.

* * *

Another week passed by, as Julia slowly went back to her normal schedule. She wasn't healed enough that she could mingle with the Titans as before, but she didn't stay cooped up in her room.

Despite the fact that Robin and the other Titans had met a dead end with the investigation of the Ice Guy, Julia was determined to get to the bottom of it. The problem was that she needed more evidence or some kind of clue.

But as Julia, guest/prisoner of the Teen Titans, she couldn't leave the Tower and investigate the matter. But there was someone else who could.


	24. Good Things

**A/N:** Ok, other funny dialogue. There are two groups: one from the League of Assassins, and one of some superheroes (including some of the JLA).

Assassin 1: Well...it looks like we have -- what is the expression? -- "A Mexican standoff"?

Assassin 2: Minus the Mexicans.

Assassin 3 (who is covered in long white fur): I'm Mexican.

Assassin 4: Get out! _Really?_ Tough to tell with all the, y'know, _fur_.

Assassin 5: _Please_ shut the hell up.

Batman: Where is _Connor Hawke_?

Assassin 4: And _why_ would we tell you _that_?

Assassin 1: _Idiot._

Assassin 2: The right answer, Spike, is "I don't know _what_ the hell you're talking about."

Yeah, so I found that funny. But like I said before, I might just find unamusing things amusing. Carry on with the story.

* * *

Jump City, ten o'clock at night. The intersection between Oakwood Street and Birch Street was busy as usual, especially on a Saturday night. Cars screamed through the night, lights only a blur in the darkness.

Most of them were going far above the speed limit. But there was nobody to stop them – the police always had their hands full with real criminals, and the Teen Titans were in charge of high-danger activities, not traffic control.

Above the noisy bustle on the ground, a masked girl crouched on a rooftop, watching the crowded intersection. In the darkness, only her violet eyes were visible, with her metal armguards and belt shining dully.

All of a sudden, a single metal disc came speeding towards the figure on the roof, whirring eerily from the speed. Hearing it, the girl dove to the side in time to avoid the blast that quickly followed as the disc exploded upon impact.

Whirling around, the girl crossed her arms in front of her torso, deflecting the series of punches that was directed at her. Ducking, she dodged the swipe of the metal bo, but was thrown backwards as one of the hits caught her in the gut.

Landing a few feet away, the violet-eyed girl looked up in time to hold off an angry Robin, who landed above her. Eyes narrowed, the girl fought back, gripping the Boy Wonder's wrists and struggling to keep him at bay.

"Get – off!"

Curling one leg back, she snapped it out, catching the superhero in the chest. He was thrown back a few feet, and landed on the roof. The two opponents got to their feet, crouched warily.

Robin clenched his fists.

"Athene. What are you doing here?"

The masked thief smiled, getting into a fighting position.

"What – thieves aren't allowed to go out of their rooms?"

The Boy Wonder scowled.

"What are you going to steal next?" he demanded. "Another laser? Jewelry? Money?"

Athene rolled her eyes.

"I'm not here to steal anything," she snapped. "So cool it, Bird Boy. You can't arrest me for just standing here on a roof. Which you happen to be doing, by the way."

Robin straightened from his position, looking grumpy.

"Good point. Then…" He looked uncertain. It was perhaps the first time that the youth had ever been faced with a thief that hadn't been stealing anything. Indecisive, he stood there, watching Athene suspiciously.

The thief smirked, then resumed her previous position, hunkered down at the edge of the roof. After a moment, Robin joined her, crouching down a few feet away from her, just in case.

There was a few moments of awkward silence as the two of them didn't say a word, only stared down at the traffic below. Every few seconds, Robin glanced at Athene, who was watching the cars intently.

Finally, the Boy Wonder had to speak.

"What-"

He abruptly stopped, annoyed, as Athene held up a hand to silence him. Down below, there was something going on.

A small navy sedan was making its way towards the intersection, a red light changing to green. To its left, a black Hummer was speeding towards the light, which was turning yellow, then red.

And it was on a direct course towards the navy sedan.

Stiffening, Robin jumped to his feet, as if to do something. However, there was nothing that he _could_ do. The smaller car, unstopped, would be directly hit by the giant Hummer.

However, Athene went into action.

Raising her right arm, she sent a purple laser towards the ground. It cut a swathe in front of the navy sedan, sending bits of concrete flying. It also abruptly stopped the small car, which slammed on its brakes, veering to the right, away from the small ditch that the laser had created.

As it did, the black Hummer zoomed across the intersection and out of sight. Crisis diverted.

Surprised, Robin looked over at Athene, who was calmly watching the sedan back up, apparently recovered from the near accident. The driver of the car, a young man in his early twenties, stuck his head out of his window. He looked up at the rooftop where the two teens were positioned, where the laser had come from.

"Thanks for the save, Robin!" he yelled, raising a hand in thanks. "I owe you one!"

Robin, looking startled by this, realized that the driver had assumed that he, the Titan leader, had prevented the collision. The driver couldn't see Athene crouched beside him, her dark clothes cloaking her in the shadows.

The Boy Wonder was about to explain to the driver that _he_ hadn't prevented the accident, but the car had long since continued its course again.

Turning, Robin rounded on Athene.

"You-" He seemed at a loss for words.

The thief returned his stare, eyebrows raised coolly.

"I…?"

The Boy Wonder shook his head.

"You just saved that car," he stated, stunned. "From crashing into the Hummer. Why?"

Shrugging it off, Athene looked back down at the intersection, which had gone back to normal, the cars bumping gently over the shallow dent in the road.

"I wasn't going to let the car get T-boned," she explained simply. "It's probably one of the worst ways to die."

She glanced back at Robin, who was still staring at her.

"Drop it, Bird Boy," she ordered, sounding more like her usual self. "Just because I'm a thief doesn't mean I can't do good things, too. Just like a superhero can do bad things."

The girl met Robin's eyes. Uncomfortable, the youth looked away. He had a feeling that Athene knew exactly what 'bad thing' he had once done.

Smiling slightly, Athene turned her back on Robin.

"Catch you later, Bird Boy," she remarked, then strode away from the scene, her back straight. After a moment, Robin followed her, keeping the shadows and wrapping his cape around himself to blend into the darkness.

A few minutes later, he found the thief. She was kneeling in the alley, eyes on the ground, where Roger Keating had died. She remained unmoving for a long time, as if frozen to the spot. After awhile, Robin left, the image imprinted permanently into his mind.

* * *

In the alley, Athene waited. The breeze around her gusted throughout the alley, melding with her powers and somehow bringing images of her surroundings to her eyes, flashes of color that never stayed still for more than a few seconds. It made her dizzy, until she hardened her power on the wind, and it calmed down.

Soon, she saw the image of Robin walking away, headed in the opposite direction. It was a mistake of hers, to come here after seeing Robin, but she'd needed to. She didn't want to waste time.

Still on her knees, Athene narrowed her eyes. If only she could revisit the evening that the Ice Guy had confronted Roger. If only she could see the scene again, and pick out any details that she could find.

Perhaps…

Looking up, the girl summoned the gust of wind once more. It spun around her, kicking up dust and dirt. Closing her eyes, Athene formed the thought in her mind, hoping that her powers would translate it to the air: _I need to find an image, a specific image, of this place three weeks ago, in the evening. Just as the sun was setting. There were two people here._

For a long moment, nothing happened. Frustrated, Athene opened her eyes –

- and saw a steady stream of images rush past her eyes, blinding her with the colors and blurred figures. Shutting her eyes again, the girl tightened her control on the wind.

_Slow down,_ she ordered. Eventually, the breeze slackened, until the images flew by her, pausing for two seconds before it passed. It was the slowest that the wind could go.

Opening her eyes, Athene inspected each image.

_Too early…too late. Too early…there._

She stared at the image, willing it to stay in her memory. There the two figures were: the Ice Guy, and Roger. With a pang, Athene ignored Roger's picture and looked at the mugger. He was semi-tall, with curled blond hair, a crooked nose, and flashing grey eyes. A leather jacket covered his shoulders, and he wore jeans with a pair of blue and white sneakers.

A second later, the image vanished, replaced with a much later one of Roger on the ground, dead.

Athene dismissed the wind, trying not to think of the last image. What she wanted was the Ice Guy's description, and she had it.

Getting to her feet, the thief walked out of the alley, and out of sight.

* * *

It was a little too late in Julia's taste when she arrived at the Tower. She'd been temporarily held up by the fact that a group of drunk teenagers had found her hoverboard, hidden behind some trashcans.

The four guys, obviously under the drinking age, were inspecting the device, once and awhile dropping it from their alcohol-induced clumsiness. When Athene had come onto the scene to retrieve her board, they'd been in the process of jumping on top of it as if to make it go.

Idiots.

In a whirl of fury, Athene had knocked out each one of them, delivering kicks and punches swiftly and silently. Then, she'd made the precarious ride back to the Tower, inwardly praying that the hoverboard would make it.

It did make it, but by a small amount. When Julia landed back in her room (thank goodness for those huge windows), the hoverboard sputtered, then promptly died.

Which left the small problem of how Julia would transport herself, as Athene or other wise.

Then her eyes fell on the papers on tornadoes.


	25. Silver

**A/N:** This is actually the rewritten version of chapter 25. I read all the reviews, and many of them addressed this chapter, so I decided to rewrite it. Hopefully, it's better than the original was.

* * *

Jump City's Museum of Rocks and Minerals was one of the city's many tourist sites. It was especially popular for the past few days since it had acquired a giant, one billion-dollar statue of the solar system, made entirely of the purest silver. The Silver Solar System, or Triple S.

Needless to say, the display was heavily guarded. Besides being enclosed by bulletproof glass, it had several cameras trained on it (with no blindspots), motion and heat sensors, and two guards standing beside it, 24/7.

That made it a thief's ultimate challenge.

* * *

After a few more days, Starfire had decided that the team needed a short day-trip out of the Tower, where they spent most of their time during the day. Of course, the day-trip meant shopping.

Julia, somehow, had been roped into the mess. Starfire had eagerly asked her to come, and under the pressuring gaze of all the Titans, the Asian girl had reluctantly agreed.

Which was how she found herself sitting in the T-Car, gazing out of the window. It was not a comfortable experience - she was squashed between the door and an enthusiastic Starfire, not to mention trying not to squish Beast Boy, who was sitting on the floor of the car as a small dog.

Raven was sitting on the other side of Starfire, evenly staring ahead and inching away whenever Starfire looked happy enough to give someone a hug. Robin was sitting in the front passenger seat, twiddling with the radio controls as Cyborg told him off for it.

All in all, a less-than-pleasant drive.

And as they were about to see, it would get worse.

In the blink of an eye, several things happened in quick succession.

First, the Teen Titans' communicators went off, filling the T-Car with the tune that now made Julia cringe, remembering the last time that she'd heard it in the car. A second later, there was an almighty BOOM! up ahead and to their left, and the double doors to the Jump City Museum of Rocks and Minerals exploded outwards.

The T-Car continued to speed forward, to Robin's dismay.

"Stop the car!" he ordered, already unbuckling his seat belt and getting ready to jump out of his seat.

However, the vehicle kept going. Cyborg struggled with the brakes, slamming his foot down until the pedal was against the floor.

"Well, I can't, man, because it won't stop!" he yelled back, restraining a few swear words. Robin whipped his head around to look at the half-robot teen.

"WHAT?!"

It was a nightmare. The T-Car actually sped up, zooming past the pedestrians, who screamed and threw themselves out of the way. Cyborg stomped on the brakes, but to no avail, as Robin struggled with the car door, which wouldn't open. Starfire grabbed the dog-form Beast Boy, who was frantically trying to find some space to turn into his regular self. Julia, her eyes wide, didn't make a sound.

Raven raised one hand, her eyes glowing white.

"Azarath, Metrion, Xinthos!"

The T-Car was immersed in her black power, edged in white. But despite her control over the car, it didn't change its course. Scowling, the empath shook her head.

"I can't control it," she told the others, her voice strained. "There's something else, or someone else, that's controlling the car, and it won't-"

Julia leapt forward, grabbing the back of Robin's seat.

"Buckle your seatbelt," she commanded, her voice fierce. "Right now!"

Startled by the intensity of Julia's voice, Robin glanced backwards at her, bewildered.

"What-"

The Asian girl just pointed wordlessly through the windshield. Ahead of them was the Jump City Pizza Parlor, looking suddenly hard and unforgiving as they hurtled straight towards the solid cement pole that kept the deck upright.

Seized by the sudden urgency, Robin gripped the buckle and yanked it out of its socket. But the seatbelt, resilient to sudden jerks of power, stayed put. Struggling, the Boy Wonder tugged at the belt. It didn't move.

Julia grabbed the seatbelt from behind.

"Let me do it," she told Robin tersely, who let go immediately, again stunned by the authority in her voice.

The Asian girl let the seatbelt go slack for a moment, then slowly drew it out, her fingers shaking. This time, the belt slid out of the socket smoothly. Stretching it out far enough, Julia handed the metal buckle to Robin, who quickly clipped it into place.

Not a moment too soon.

With a sound that resounded in everyone's ears, the T-Car smashed right into the cement pole, causing the structure to buckle from the force. The front of the car crumpled inwards as all six of its occupants were heaved forward, straight into the white airbags that appeared at their front and sides.

For a long moment, nobody moved. There was complete silence, except for the ominous cracking noises as the broken pole began to shift downwards, breaks in the cement spreading outwards.

"Titans, report!" Robin pulled himself from his airbag, coughing heavily. The other Titans, all of them covered in particles of cement and looking winded, rose, coughing roughly. Julia winced as she leaned back in the seat, feeling lances of pain shoot from her ribs.

There was an answering bark from the dog Beast Boy.

"I'm good."

"I will be satisfactory."

"Fine."

"As good as someone who has bruised ribs can be."

At Julia's last statement, Robin turned slightly to look at her, causing himself to flinch from discomfort.

"Bruised ribs?" he asked sharply. "Are you sure?"

Julia glared at him with all the anger she could muster. Which, at that point, wasn't that much. Agony was more of her feeling at the moment.

"Do I need to hand you an X-ray scan?" she retorted, cringing again as her ribs protested. She held a hand to her torso. "Stop making me talk. It hurts."

Raven inched over, one power-filled hand raised.

"Hold still," she ordered, then held one hand over Julia's ribs. Immediately, the pain eased, and Julia leaned back again, looking relieved.

"Anyone else injured?" Robin asked, looking around at his team. They shook their heads.

"Aside from some bruises that'll last forever, nope," Cyborg replied, shrugging. "Nothing broken, fractured, or anything else like that."

"Good," Robin said, looking reassured. "Then - what is it, Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy, who was still a small green terrier at the moment, was barking his head off towards the sky. Without any room to change back, he'd stayed as a dog for the time being.

Starfire followed Beast Boy's gaze.

"I believe he wants us to look at-"

The alien abruptly caught her breath as she, and the others, saw exactly what Beast Boy had been looking at: the pizza parlor's balcony, which was sliding slowly downwards, pointed straight at the T-Car.

With a grate of cement, the pole holding up the balcony collapsed fully, breaking inwards from the blow from the T-Car, and the strain of holding up the leaning balcony. It plummeted down, the tip diving at the car.

With incredible speed, Cyborg sprang up from his seat. Arms above his head and braced, he caught one side of the balcony. The force jolted him backwards and almost caused the teen to lose his balance.

Following suit, Starfire flew up and gripped the point of the balcony, using her superhuman strength to hold the structure away from the car once more. It groaned in protest, debris falling around them alarmingly.

"Out of the car!" Robin bellowed, unbuckling himself swiftly and flinging himself through the shattered hole that was the car windshield. Raven, Beast Boy, and Julia needed no second warning - a few seconds later, and Cyborg was the only one standing in the wreck of the T-Car, while Starfire hovered in the air above.

Raven whirled around, facing the direction from which they'd come from.

"Cyborg, get-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the half-metal teen was wrenched backwards, yelling, from his position, and thrown backwards onto the ground. A second later, the same invisible force yanked him from the ground and propelled him into the brick wall of the pizza parlor, which dented inwards from the force.

Robin leaped towards his teammate, and was nearly bowled over as Cyborg was heaved away from the brick wall, and into the metal wall of the bank across the street.

Meanwhile, Starfire screwed up her face in concentration as she struggled to keep the balcony from falling to the ground. As a few tables slid towards her, however, she began to be pushed backwards from the force.

The other Titans watched in horror as everything went from bad to worse. Cyborg was constantly being hurled everywhere, hitting the road, the buildings, and things on the street alternately. Starfire was fighting a losing battle against the force of gravity.

Raising one hand, Raven summoned her power as she followed Cyborg's movements.

"Azarath, Metrion, Xinthos!"

Cyborg was immersed in the empath's black power, but continued to crash into the buildings. Raven scowled again, her hand closing into a fist.

"It's not work-"

Suddenly, with a scream, Starfire was jerked away from the balcony and lobbed backwards, just as Cyborg had been. This time, however, the metal collar that was part of her upper costume, and her metal belt, seemed to be dragging her along.

"Starfire!"

Robin leaped towards Starfire, who had just smashed against a lamppost, but jumped back as the alien almost collided with him as she was launched towards a mailbox on the opposite side of the street.

Starfire's hands clutched her silver collar, attempting to wrest it off somehow, but it stuck tight to her, as well as the belt around her waist.

"Jeez. This was easier than I thought."

A young woman in her early twenties strode towards the scene, looking highly amused at the chaos in front of her. Strangely enough, Jump City's new Silver Solar System was bobbing behind her in midair, as if it were a puppy following an owner.

The woman widened her gray eyes as Robin threw a few exploding discs in her direction. The discs, however, changed direction in midair and zoomed towards their owner, forcing Robin to jump out of the way as they exploded.

"You superheroes," the woman sighed, smoothing back platinum blond, almost silver, hair pulled into a tight ponytail. "So dependent on _metal_. Lucky for me."

Her eyes flicked towards Robin, who had dove at her. The Boy Wonder was wrenched back in mid-leap, and pinned against the nearest building wall. He attempted to move his arms and legs, but found his metal-edged shoes and the metal lockpicks in his gloves holding him back. A second later, strips of metal from the T-Car cuffed Robin's wrists and ankles against the building.

The silver-haired woman snapped her fingers, and Cyborg and Starfire were pinned against their own separate buildings, unable to move.

"Azarath, Metrion-"

"Spare me the magic crap."

Turning her head to stare at Raven, the woman raised one eyebrow. "It gets old, Raven. Really fast."

Before the empath could say another word, she was hoisted off the ground and hurled into a nearby mailbox, which had molded itself into a sheet of thick metal. As Raven hit the metal, it engulfed her and formed into a seamless square metal box. There was the sound of banging inside, but nothing happened.

"That's right, Raven," the woman replied loftily. "Try getting out of _that_ one. You probably noticed that your powers are useless against my metal control."

The woman turned away from Raven's cage just in time to be hit in the side by a very angry rhino Beast Boy, who barreled into her, throwing her back ten feet. The changeling resumed his human form, fists on his hips as he glared at the metal-wielder.

"Dude, _never_ mess with the Beast Boy. I will-"

His short speech was abruptly cut off as his silver belt yanked him from his feet and into a hovering metal semi-circle right behind him, which enveloped the youth quickly, forming the shape of a sphere.

From inside, there was the sound of Beast Boy changing, perhaps into a large animal, then a "OW!" and a thud as he painfully hit the sides of the metal sphere.

The woman rose from the ground slowly, her gray eyes narrowed with distaste.

"I don't even know why you have him on the team," she told Robin, who was still struggling against the wall. "He's far too young and naïve for your kind of job. Not to mention impulsive and unreliable."

Taking a deep breath, the woman straightened the crisp gray collar of her costume, which included a gray top, cut sharply against her figure and following the length of her arms, and just as crisp black pants, tucked into gray combat boots.

"Who are you?"

Despite the fact that he was struggling against an unseen force, Robin sounded strangely calm. The woman, turning to face him, raised her eyebrows.

"I was wondering when you'd ask me that. I'm Silver."

Then she smiled coldly.

"And that makes all the Titans," she mused, surveying her work with a cool eye. "Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy…" She glanced around with satisfaction. "And the Triple S is mine. Perfect."

Silver turned around-

-just in time to receive a head-on blast of lightning. The force of the attack threw the woman backwards, causing her to land hard on the concrete a few feet away. Wincing, Silver looked up to see Julia standing solidly in front of her, right hand extended and sparking with mini lightning bolts.

"This is probably the part where I have to say something witty, right?" Julia commented to no one in particular. As her opponent got to her feet, the Asian girl sent another bolt of lightning from her outstretched fingers.

This time, Silver raised one hand, and one of the T-Car's metal doors was ripped off its hinges (to Cyborg's whimper) and flew in front of the woman. The metal shielded Silver from the onslaught of electricity, and absorbed the electrons from Julia's grasp. When the door touched the ground, the lightning flowed out of the metal and into the earth.

Gasping, Julia disconnected the flow of lightning from her hand, preventing the electricity from being drained out of her. She scowled at Silver, knowing full well that her lightning powers were useless in this situation. If she shot any electricity, Silver would merely use metal to conduct the electrons and displace them.

Silver returned Julia's scowl with a smug smile.

"Lightning. How quaint."

Raising her right arm, she held her hand out, palm up, and twitched her index finger in a kind of beckoning.

In a trice, Julia was heaved off her feet, her metal arm guards, belt buckle, and earrings responding to Silver's summons. The girl's earrings, straining with the pull, cut against her ear lobes, causing them to bleed.

Unable to remove her belt, arm guards, or earrings, Julia was hurled into a glass building, whose windows shattered from the impact. Before the Asian girl could pick herself up from the shard-laden floor, she was dragged through the gaping hole and thrown onto the sidewalk. A second later, she was crashing into an ATM.

Julia never even stood a chance. Even as anger and frustration gripped her, she didn't even have the chance to get to her feet and counterattack. No amount of powers or martial arts could help her when Silver was throwing her everywhere like a rag doll.

"Why do you do this?"

That was Starfire's distressed voice, coming from somewhere above and behind her. Julia was lying on the ground in front of the pinned Titans, taking a brief respite.

Silver calmly strode towards the Asian girl, her eyes never leaving her crumpled form.

"Why not?" the criminal replied simply, raising one delicate eyebrow. "I-"

Suddenly, a pair of green lasers connected with Silver's torso, hurling her into a car on the opposite side of the street. The woman had barely enough time to recover and dodge Starfire's eye beams again.

One hand extended, Silver brought a sewer lid in front of her to shield herself. Gritting her teeth, the woman kept the metal from shattering from the sheer force of the twin lasers.

"You already got the Triple S!" Cyborg shouted, still struggling in vain. "Why beat up another person?"

No longer able to continue holding off Starfire's eye beams, Silver dropped the sewer lid and dodged the next laser burst. Ducking and running, the thief kept talking.

"See, what you Titans don't realize is that thieves aren't limited to stealing." The woman threw a mailbox in front of her, which promptly exploded from Starfire's laser eyes. As letters fluttered through the air, Silver took advantage of the momentary confusion. "Thieves are entitled to their own fun, too." Yanking a lamp post from its position, the thief swung it like a baseball bat.

Julia, who was struggling to her feet, was caught around the middle by the metal pole. It struck her in the torso, throwing her down the street. Winded, the teen fought to breathe as her head swam.

"Julia!"

The Asian girl dimly heard her name being shouted. She squinted, her vision blurry, and briefly saw a black, red, and white blur on the roof of a nearby building.

Red X?

"Julia, get up! You can do it!"

Oh. That was Robin's voice.

But how could she get up and fight when she couldn't even use her powers against Silver? When she had barely enough time to stand?

Silver was walking towards her again, that infuriatingly smug smile on her lips. How could someone take pleasure from hurting a helpless person?

A moment later, Silver was launched into the air as Starfire's eye beams hit her squarely in the torso. The thief was cast through a shop's front window, sending glass flying everywhere.

Climbing to her knees, Julia saw, from the corner of her eyes, something black flying at her. The girl turned just in time to be struck by the white-edged figure, shaped like a bird - Raven's soul self.

It was just like before. Julia struggled against Raven, who was determinedly trying to take over.

_Let me take control_. The empath's mind-voice was fainter than usual. The lack of air inside the metal box was getting to her.

_No!_ Julia snapped, hurriedly shielding her memories from view. _Get out of my mind!_

But even when she was suffocating, Raven's mind power was far stronger than Julia's.

_You're the only one left who has a chance at defeating Silver_, Raven told Julia coldly. _I can use your powers to do that, even if you can't._

Raven was right, of course. Even if Julia knew the choice was a logical one, she didn't want the empath taking over. With her superior mind power, she could easily see all of Julia's memories, including the secret ones involving Damien as Red X.

But truthfully, Julia wouldn't be able to stop Raven even if she wanted to.

_Fine._ Grudgingly, Julia ceased fighting.

Instantly, the Asian girl felt her mind being shoved aside as Raven took full control. Although they both could see and feel what was happening, only Raven could direct Julia's body and powers.

As Silver used a car to deflect Starfire's laser eyes, Raven/Julia got to her feet, summoning lightning in one hand. Raising that hand, she shot a barrage of lightning bolts at Silver, who, taken off-guard, was thrown a few feet down the street.

"Why, you little-!"

As before, Julia's arm guards, belt buckle, and earrings tugged her in another direction. However, this time Raven/Julia slammed into a sparking lightning shield, which had just appeared in front of her, halting her from moving any further.

Silver quickly got over her surprise. Raising one hand, she levitated a nearby motorcycle and hurled it in Raven/Julia's direction.

With her left hand, Raven/Julia seized a gust of wind and shoved it towards the motorcycle, forcing it to change direction and slam into Silver, who hit the ground a few feet back.

Before the woman could recover, Raven/Julia created a rope of lightning in her right hand. Using it like a whip, she whipped it towards Silver, who screamed in pain as the electric rope lashed at her, wrapping itself around her and painfully shocking her.

_Let me take it from here,_ Julia thought firmly. Raven, whose mind-presence was fading as her body ran out of oxygen, silently left Julia's body and returned to her own.

In control once again, Julia tore off her earrings, arm guards, and belt before Silver could use them to control her again. Grimacing as her aching body protested, she began running towards the woman. When she was within a few feet of the thief, the Asian girl threw herself at her.

Silver had barely used a piece of metal from the motorcycle to channel the lightning away, when Julia tackled her. The two of them crashed to the ground, Silver trying to defend herself against Julia's punches.

A second later, Julia's head jerked forwards as the T-Car's steering wheel hit her in the back of the head. Taking advantage of the moment, Silver rolled away, and sprang to her feet, drawing back a fist.

Blinking to clear her vision, Julia whipped out one leg, knocking Silver's knees out from under her. As the woman fell forwards, the Asian girl seized Silver's wrist and twisted it to the side, then behind her back.

Silver cried out, flailing out with her other fist and catching her opponent in the side. Cringing but never lessening her hold, Julia expertly pinned the thief to the ground, holding her wrist in an awkward - but painful - position, the wrist twisted and bending against her arm. The side of Silver's face was pressed against the ground, her other arm out of reach of Julia.

Fiercely, the Asian girl bent the woman's wrist towards her arm, making Silver yell in pain.

"Let them go," Julia snapped, breathing hard. "Let them go, or I swear I'll break your wrist." As Silver struggled against her, the girl added, "And if you try to get away, or use your powers to throw something at me, I _will_ break your wrist. Any agony to me is your agony."

Slowly, as if thinking this over, Silver went still. The Titans, however, stayed pinned against the wall by her powers.

Eyes cold, Julia bent the woman's wrist a bit more.

Gasping, Silver gritted her teeth. "All right, all right!"

A second later, Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire fell to the ground. They got to their feet as the metal box imprisoning Raven, and the metal sphere holding Beast Boy, melted away. The empath and the changeling rose, and joined the other Titans, who were making their way around the debris, towards Julia, who still had Silver pinned.

Silver looked furious through her agony.

"You'll pay for this, girl," she snapped, wincing as Julia tightened her grip. "One day, I'll-"

Contemptuously, Julia bent Silver's wrist even further, silencing the woman. Then she bent over the failed thief, her mouth closer to the woman's ear so that the Titans couldn't hear her.

"I know a good thief from a bad one," the Asian girl hissed, her voice cold. "And trust me, you're not a good one. Sadism doesn't make you a thief. It makes you a villain."

Straightening, she looked up as the Titans came to her side. Cyborg was already on his communicator, calling the police over to the scene. In minutes, they would be there to clean up the mess, and take away Silver.

Robin was there first. Kneeling next to Julia, he glanced down at Silver before looking into Julia's face.

"You ok?" he asked, scanning her quickly for injuries. "You had it pretty bad, there."

Julia nodded, not taking her eyes off Silver.

"I'm fine," she replied, not meeting his eyes. The intense fury that had just consumed her had disappeared, leaving her drained. Her grip on Silver was just as firm, however.

The Boy Wonder gave a snort of derision as the sound of sirens reached their ears. A second later, several police trucks came into view, slamming to a halt in front of them. With speed coming from experience, workers began clearing up the damage. A few policemen led Silver away, hard plastic cuffs around her bruised wrists.

"Need any help?" One of the policemen paused, looking down at Julia. The girl merely shook her head, sitting back on her heels.

"I'm fine," she repeated, ignoring Robin's second snort of derision. Raven glided over, a little unsteady, as the policeman shrugged and walked away. The lack of air in the cage had almost suffocated Raven, as well as Beast Boy.

"You're not fine," the empath informed Julia flatly, kneeling next to her. "You've got gashes all over, especially at the back of your head, and a ton of bruises." As Julia winced, holding one hand to her torso, Raven added, "And your ribs are probably cracked."

Gritting her teeth, the Asian girl went still as the empath began to heal her.

"It could've been worse," she pointed out, flinching as her body healed. "If Raven hadn't possessed me, I'd probably have all my bones broken by now."

Raven shook her head.

"You're welcome," she replied evenly. "Still, it wasn't entirely me." At Julia's confused look, the empath explained, "You have the potential to do all of that. You just didn't know how to, and didn't know when to."

"And the end was all yours," Robin added, arms folded. His features were thoughtful, almost wary.

Beast Boy shook his head in admiration. He, Starfire, and Cyborg, had come over to the others after giving some statements to the police.

"Dude, you were awesome out there. Seriously."

Julia smiled wryly at the changeling.

"Besides the fact that I got beat up and Raven was controlling me - thanks. I got a little carried away-"

"Everyone does, once in awhile," Cyborg interrupted, smiling kindly. "Wasn't your fault."

Starfire clasped her hands, beaming.

"You did an excellent job, Julia," she assured her brightly. "We would not have survived had it not been for you."

As the other Titans nodded, seconding this, Julia reddened.

"I wasn't-" she began to say, but stopped. She couldn't let them think that she didn't want them to survive. "I wasn't trying to be a big hero or anything," she amended, looking down. For some reason, she especially didn't want to see Robin's expression.

The Boy Wonder put a hand on her shoulder, startling her. Robin met her eyes resolutely, his face serious.

"Julia. What matters is that you fought for us, even when it seemed we'd all lost. All of this-" he gestured around them "-proves that you deserve to be acknowledged for it."

At this, Julia's mind flew into a panic. Was he about to make her a Teen Titan? She couldn't be a Titan - she was really a thief. She couldn't be both.

What would Damien say?

"I don't-"

"I think you deserve to come with us on our missions," Robin told her firmly. "And you're allowed to go freely into the city whenever you want. You could even…leave the Tower, if you want, although we'd like you to stay. You've proved that you're trustworthy."

Julia's words caught in her throat, and she closed her mouth, stunned. Going on the Titans' missions? Freedom to leave the Tower? It was certainly better than being a Titan. But this was more than she'd expected. They trusted her.

Robin trusted her.

And she could leave all of this behind. Right now, right here. She could go home, and forget all of this. All of them.

But go home to what? To an angry Damien, convinced that she was a Titan-lover, as good as one? He'd be sure to hear about this. He wouldn't want her back, surely. And she felt at home at the Tower as much as at her own apartment.

And they trusted her. _Robin_ trusted her.

Julia met Robin's eyes.

"I'll go on your missions. I'm not about to leave you."

It was a phrase she'd come to doubt later.

* * *

**A/N:** Probably not the best rewritten piece. I might have left some loopholes, because I completely redid the fight part of the chapter, then pieced it together with the beginning and the end. Still, I hope I fixed the problem of Julia's Mary-Sue-ness.


	26. No Big Deal

**A/N:** I realized that I don't have that many more chapters to post. Six more, I think. And then after that, I'll be posting the chapters a lot slower as I write them. So since I'm getting down to my last already-written chapters, I might space them out a bit more.

* * *

"Idiot. Jerk. Moron. Stupid."

Julia punctuated each word with a punch to the sandbag, which was hanging from the low ceiling of the gym. Panting from the exertion, the Asian girl threw a few more punches, and a few kicks for good measure.

Finally, anger temporarily spent, she turned away from the punching bag, leaning back on it, her eyes closed.

Even after a rested week from her fight with Silver, Julia was having second thoughts. She'd come back to the Tower, just in time to remember that her earrings, arm guards, and her belt were gone. She hadn't had time to look for them after she'd been forced to take them off.

What's more, Julia had basically told the Titans that she wanted to be part of the team. She'd had the chance to leave the Tower, but hadn't taken it. She could've left all of this, but she hadn't. She'd missed her chance.

What would Damien think?

With so many thoughts, Julia had gone to the gym, to work her frustration and stress off. Her long black hair was pulled out of the way, and into a ponytail, and she'd brought a small towel and a bottle water, just in case.

Pulling herself away from the punching bag, the girl began to practice her gymnastics training. It had been awhile since she'd had a real hand-to-hand fight, and she'd gotten rusty in the process. Now that the Titans had seen her use regular combat, she didn't have to hide it anymore.

Standing on the edge of a mat that Robin regularly used for martial arts practice, Julia raised her arms, and performed a neat cartwheel. Her back to the gym door, she dove into a tight Aikido roll, and sprang up from it.

Taking a few running steps, the girl did a round-off, then used her remaining momentum to do a no-handed forward flip in midair, landing solidly on both feet, arms raised above her head in the typical gymnastics landing position.

"Nice one."

Startled by the voice, Julia winced. Turning around slowly, she faced the source of the voice - Robin, leaning against the opposite wall. He'd probably come in when she hadn't been paying attention.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Julia looked away.

"Thanks."

Straightening from his position, Robin approached Julia thoughtfully, arms crossed.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked, more curious than demanding. "The gymnastics? The martial arts, and the hand-to-hand combat you used against Silver?"

Of course he'd asked - it was expected. Julia knew that Robin wouldn't just let it go without saying anything.

Shrugging, the Asian girl tightened her ponytail, just to be doing something.

"I took gymnastics when I was young," she replied quietly. That part, at least, was true. Her adopted parents had insisted on her taking gymnastics at a young age. It was something that the stereotypical little girl always did.

Robin nodded, his eyes still on her.

"What about the martial arts? And the hand-to-hand fighting?"

Julia avoided meeting his eyes.

"I took some martial arts classes later, too. Just for awhile, before I quit. Schoolwork took up a lot of time." That part was a lie. Damien and Roger had been the ones to teach her how to fight, to prepare her for her future as a thief.

Robin seemed to accept her lie, however. He looked contemplatively at Julia for a moment, as if considering her.

"You did pretty well, the other day," he remarked abruptly. "You fought pretty well, for someone who used to do that kind of thing a while ago."

Julia felt herself redden slightly.

Shrugging again, she explained, "I didn't-"

"But some of your punches were a little off," Robin interrupted. He sounded like he was forcing himself to get through everything he wanted to say. Raising his right arm straight in front of him, he made a fist.

Bewildered, Julia stayed silent.

"On some of your punches, your thumb was on top of your index finger, instead of to the side." Robin demonstrated the first technique, then the right one. "Just to let you know."

Julia nodded, mentally noting this piece of advice.

"Your wrist technique was good, although another one would've been better," Robin continued. He paused, then asked, "Mind if I show you?"

Startled, Julia nodded, extending her right wrist towards the Boy Wonder. She still had no idea what Robin was doing, but it didn't bother her unduly.

The team leader took her arm in one hand, and her hand in the other. Slowly, he twisted her wrist to the side using another technique. Stopping at the point where it would've been painful, he looked up at the Asian girl.

"Like that. From the position you were at to Silver, this one would've been quicker to use."

Still baffled as to why Robin was teaching her this, Julia nodded. Robin obviously thought he was teaching her something new, even if she already knew this. Still, she had to play along. It wouldn't hurt.

The girl met Robin's eyes.

"Could I try it on you?"

The Boy Wonder nodded, freeing her wrist. Julia hesitated, then took Robin's hand and arm, and practiced the wrist movement, purposely doing it wrong. By doing so, Robin would probably want to correct her.

He did.

"Almost," the Boy Wonder remarked. Taking her hand and arm again, he demonstrated the right way again. "Make sure your thumb is at the base of my ring finger, and your palm against the back of my hand. Try it again."

And so it went. Robin showed Julia several other wrist techniques, along with different punches and kicks, most of which the Asian girl already knew (but didn't tell the youth). She pretended not to know some of them, and purposely did a few wrong, just so that Robin wouldn't get suspicious.

At the same time, she learned a few new tricks that Damien and Roger had never taught her. Robin, it seemed, knew _a lot_ of different techniques. He wasn't a bad teacher, either. He was mostly patient and seemed eager to show Julia the correct way of fighting.

Robin was just showing Julia an efficient technique of throwing an opponent over the defender's hip, when the gym door slid open, revealing Cyborg in the doorway. Julia had been in the act of grabbing Robin's arm, preparing to throw him. Immediately, the two of them froze in place.

At the sight of the two unlikely teens practicing fighting methods, Cyborg's eyes widened. There was a slightly awkward moment as the three stared at each other, at a loss for words.

Finally, Robin straightened, as Julia let go of him.

"Cyborg. What is it?"

The half-metal youth shook himself from his shock. Raising his left arm, he pointed at the reading, which showed the approximate time: 9:30 am.

"Man, it's breakfast time! We've been waiting for ages! Did you forget or something?"

Embarrassed, Robin pulled his gloves on tighter, looking away from both Cyborg and Julia.

"Actually, yeah, I did," he replied quietly, flushing. "Thanks for the head's up. I'll be right there."

Grabbing his own towel and water bottle near the door, the Boy Wonder left the room silently. Once the door closed behind him, Cyborg turned to stare at Julia, who had also watched Robin leave.

"What was all that about?"

Julia shrugged dismissively, picking up her towel and slinging it around her neck. Taking her water bottle, she took a swig.

"Nothing. It was nothing."

As she was about to pass Cyborg to the door, the Titan stopped her.

"I'm serious, Julia. What're you two doing in here? Robin's never late for breakfast. I don't even remember the last time we had to wait for him. Usually, we have to wait for Beast Boy to drag his butt down to the Operations Room, but never Robin."

Looking up at Cyborg, Julia kept her face impassive. She didn't even know why she was trying not to make a big deal out of this.

"We were just practicing some hand-to-hand fighting methods," she explained casually. "And we just forgot the time. It's no big deal."

Taking a deep breath, Julia left the room, distinctly hearing Cyborg say, "Well, I'm glad you two are finally getting along."

* * *

Julia had no idea what to make of this. Sure, she had just got along with Robin for more than an hour - was it really more than an hour? - without any bad feelings between them. And yes, they'd had something in common, and were working together.

But was it that surprising?

Apparently, it was. Cyborg kept shooting Robin and Julia glances all through breakfast, and Robin deliberately made no mention of it at all. A few hours later, when Julia was curled up on the couches, reading, she definitely heard Cyborg telling Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy the news, in the kitchen.

And when, a few days later, Julia came back to her room, she found a note and a small box on her bed. Sinking onto her bed, the girl unfolded the piece of paper and read:

_Julia,_

_I think you forgot these at that fight with Silver a week ago. I went back and got them, since I know they mean something to you. Try not to lose them again._

_Robin_

_P.S. - Starting Monday, it would be great if we could meet up in the gym, at 8 a.m., to practice fighting techniques. Hand-to-hand combat only would be fine. You seem to be the only one in the Tower, beside myself, who relies on it._

Stunned, Julia reread the note over. Robin actually wanted to practice with her? Had he actually made a joke when he'd said, "Try not to lose them again"? And what had he gotten back for her?

Picking up the box, the girl tore it open. Inside was her pair of lightning earrings, clean of blood and dirt, as well as the lightning buckle belt and arm guards, which had been newly polished.

As Julia put them back on, she dimly realized that the items had something in common: all of them were gifts - two were from the Titans, and one from a thief.


	27. What's Right

**A/N:** Short, but sweet. Enjoy.

* * *

Every morning after that, Julia and Robin would meet in the gym at 8 am, and practice hand-to-hand combat for an hour, before going to breakfast at 9. It was the only time that it was just the two of them - the other Titans either didn't want to join, or didn't need to. Or, in Beast Boy's case, couldn't join in because he always slept in later than 8.

It was mostly Robin showing Julia different fighting methods, as well as going over old ones. Mostly, Julia pretended to only know the basic fighting techniques, and always purposely did the techniques wrong the first time. In this way, she hid the fact that she picked up the techniques quickly.

The whole time, the Asian girl wondered why, exactly, Robin was helping her. It wasn't until a week later did she find the courage to ask him.

The two of them had just finished, and were talking while drinking water and cooling down before taking showers and going to breakfast. It was the same thing each day, and was quickly becoming a routine.

Julia nervously fiddled with the cap of her water bottle, sitting cross-legged on the ground as Robin leaned against the wall.

"So…any particular reason why you're doing this?"

The question seemed to catch Robin off-guard. The Boy Wonder looked down at her, his eyes inscrutable behind his mask.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. He seemed to be thinking the question over carefully.

Julia hesitated.

"Why are you helping me learn all of this?" she amended, sweeping her arm towards the gym. "You don't have to teach me, really. Not that I don't like your help," she added hastily. "I really do. But I was wondering why you're putting your time into this."

She felt like adding, _what's in it for you?_ But she didn't. It was already asking a lot to ask Robin to explain his purpose for helping her.

Robin, however, didn't seem to mind. He was silent for a long moment, staring into space. Finally, he said, slowly again, "You saved my life. I feel like I owe you something in return."

This wasn't what the Asian girl had expected. She'd been expecting something more like, "Because I was so distant to you before" or "Because you proved that you're a great fighter". But definitely not because "you saved my life". She wasn't sure whether she was glad or not.

"Oh."

Then something occurred to her.

"When did I save your life?"

Robin, for his part, looked surprised, as if Julia was supposed to remember things like that. Which, really, she should've. Saving a person's life wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"In the car, before the fight with Silver. Silver had control of the car, and was speeding the T-car towards the Pizza Parlor. The seat belt wouldn't work-" _technically_, Julia thought, _Robin wasn't doing it right_ "-and you managed to make it work. It basically saved my life. If you hadn't fixed the seat belt, I probably would've gone through the windshield."

"Oh."

She was beginning to sound idiotic. "Right. I didn't, you know, think of it that way. I just saw where the car was headed to, and knew that you had to put your seat belt on. I didn't mean-"

"-to save my life?" Robin completed, raising his eyebrows.

Flushing, Julia corrected herself, "I meant, I wasn't actually thinking of the consequences." Looking up, the girl met Robin's eyes. "It was just instinct, you know? To make sure everyone's all right. If that makes sense."

Robin smiled wryly.

"I'm the leader of a team of superheroes, Julia," he replied dryly. "I know what you mean. There's a certain responsibility involved. You're in charge of everyone's safety, whether you like it or not." Robin leaned back against the wall, his eyes distant again. "_Everything_ involves you - you get the praise, and the blame."

Julia was quiet for a few moments, her eyes on the bottle in her hands.

"That sounds stressful." She looked up at Robin thoughtfully. "Are you happy, then? Leading a team of superheroes?"

The Boy Wonder gave a short laugh, then looked down at the girl.

"Sometimes, the right thing to do doesn't make you happy."

Frowning slightly, Julia met his gaze resolutely.

"Then why do it? Isn't life about making yourself happy? About doing things you enjoy?"

Robin instantly seemed to sober.

"Some people aren't meant to do what makes them happy," he replied finally. "Some people are meant to do what's right, to help others."

"Namely, you," Julia clarified.

Robin nodded.

The Asian girl frowned. "You have to do _something_ that makes you happy."

In reply, the Boy Wonder shrugged.

"Working out. Fighting."

Julia gave a snort of derision.

"That's part of the doing-what's-right thing. Are you honestly saying that you _like_ to beat people up? Do you do it because you like it, or because you have to?"

Robin raised his eyebrows.

"Does it matter?"

Opening her mouth to give a sharp reply, Julia was interrupted by Beast Boy's dulcet tones over the intercom.

"Yo! Robin, Julia! Dudes! Get your butts to the Operations Room right now, or I'm coming down there to make you! And I mean it, this time!"

Groaning, Julia rolled her eyes at Robin.

"He always says that," Robin remarked, offering a hand to the Asian girl. Julia took it, and the Boy Wonder helped her to stand.

"Right. You know, he might actually carry out his threat one day."

They looked at each other for a second, then started laughing.


	28. The Edifice

**A/N:** I know this is a short chapter. That's because the next one is a bit longer, and cutting it off at any point would ruin the flow of it. So please bear with me.

* * *

Nobody was more surprised at this new friendship than Julia herself. She'd never thought, before joining the Titans, and after, that she'd become friends with Robin the Boy Wonder, leader of the Teen Titans, disliked by all kinds of criminals.

But the Asian girl found herself developing a healthy feeling of respect and admiration for the youth, as well as a kind of kinship. Every morning, they practiced together, and often spent time just talking.

And in a way, Julia sympathized with Robin. Every day, she was finding more and more about the strong leader that effectively held down crime in one of the nation's largest cities. And not everything she learned was a good thing.

* * *

After the fight with Silver, there was a temporary lull in the crimes in Jump City. It seemed that the criminals had realized that they had a new adversary, simply known as 'Julia'. She seemed to have no history or other identity (a result of Damien and Cyborg's separate, but combined, hacking and deleting of files).

But two weeks after the break-in of the Jump City Museum of Rocks and Minerals, there was a confirmed sighting of a youth who had ice powers. Along with the report of the location were several descriptions of the teen, who had broken into a few homes and stolen some possessions.

Staring up at the screen, Julia felt her chest constrict at the details listed:

Short blond hair

Shoots ice

Leather jacket

Casual attire

It was definitely the Ice Guy. His reported details fit perfectly with the images that she'd seen when she'd scryed on the wind. And at least this time, the Titans knew the same info that Julia did. She had an excuse for her knowledge of the Ice Guy's appearance.

"He's been sighted in the south part of the city," Robin commented. "Apparently, he goes fast and eliminates witnesses. We're lucky that we got this info at all. It says that he was last seen going into a building on Evergreen Street."

He turned to face his team, face set and determined.

"That's where we're going. Titans, GO!"

* * *

Within ten minutes of driving, flying, or teleporting - depending on the team member and the mode of transportation - the six teens had arrived at 712 Evergreen Street, a thoroughly ill kept and empty area.

Getting out of the T-car, Julia inhaled sharply as she stared at the creepy looking building, with dark concrete bricks, shaded windows, and an ominous black door.

"This isn't a good idea," she said shortly, her jaw clenched. "We shouldn't go in."

The Titans were also staring at the building in apprehension.

"And what, let the Ice Guy go by?" Robin retorted, though he didn't sound very confident. "We can't let one criminal go, especially this one. That would mean that we're weak."

The Asian girl shook her head.

"No, that would mean that we're wise," she replied anxiously. Despite the fact that she had a personal agenda with this criminal, she knew danger when she saw it. "Robin, I don't think this is right. This place…" she shuddered. "It has this bad feeling to it."

"Even I have to agree," Raven commented flatly. "My instincts are screaming for us to leave."

"Hey, we're the Teen Titans!" Cyborg said, somewhat lacking the bravado that he was trying to inspire. "We can deal with this."

"Maybe _you_ can deal with this," Beast Boy remarked. He turned into a mouse and hid behind Raven's cloak. The empath didn't even notice.

"I believe that Julia is right," Starfire said, her voice slightly trembling. "This dwelling does not hold any happiness."

"It's not supposed to," Robin replied forcefully. He looked at everyone else. "Guys, come on. We can get through this. It's just one criminal, one building, right?"

Everyone just looked at him.

Finally Julia took a deep breath.

"Ok. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Beast Boy turned back into a human and rolled up his sleeves determinedly.

"This is probably one of the worst ideas we've ever had," he muttered.

Starfire smiled weakly.

"I will brave this as a true friend would," she added.

Cyborg powered up his sonic cannon bravely.

"Well, we'll just have to go in with a bang."

Raven shook her head.

"Whatever," was all she said.

Robin nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude toward his friends.

"All right, team. Move in."

And leading the group, he threw open the door and headed inside.

* * *

**A/N:** I decided to call this chapter 'The Edifice' because the chapter name's supposed to be about the house, but 'The House' didn't seem right. And 'edifice' is a synonym for 'building' (plus, it sounds a lot more ominous), so I used it, instead.


	29. Haunted

**A/N:** You know, I actually wrote this chapter as a side mini story. When I wrote it, it wasn't specifically for this story. But when I got to this point of the story, I decided to put it in. I was basically inspired to write this section because it was Friday the 13th, and I was in the mood for something that fit the day. So here it is.

* * *

The first thing that Julia observed was the quiet stillness to the place, like somebody holding a breath, or the quiet before a lightning storm. It was completely pitch-dark, with no source of light. When the Titans were all inside, the door closed shut ominously behind them.

"Please someone say that they closed the door themselves," Beast Boy said shakily. Nobody replied.

"Let's get some light in here," Robin ordered. "Star, Julia - light up this place."

Julia raised her hand and summoned lightning to it. The area was immediately bathed in a dim, trembling white light, revealing an entrance area and a long hallway ahead. The darkness seemed to be pressing in on all of them from all sides.

Cyborg looked around.

"Wait. Where's Starfire?"

Everyone looked. The pretty alien was nowhere to be seen.

"Star?" Robin asked, his voice edged with fear. "Starfire?"

No answer.

"This can't be happening," the Boy Wonder muttered. "Everyone, stick close."

"Can we hold hands?" Beast Boy whimpered.

Raven elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"We're not five years old," she reminded him impassively. "As long as we stick close we'll be fine."

"Let's continue forward," Robin said firmly. "Down through the hall. Yell if anything's wrong."

The five of them made their way slowly down the hall, glancing around and keeping their wits about them.

"I'm surprised that Beast Boy hasn't made a funny joke yet," Julia commented, trying to make the situation lighthearted.

There was no reply to this from the changeling, whom she'd expected to give a retort. Raven turned her head to where Beast Boy had been a second ago.

"Beast Boy?"

He was gone.

"Oh, man," Cyborg whispered. "This isn't good at all. First Star, then BB…who's next?"

"Don't think like that," Robin snapped in frustration. "We'll find them. We can get that bad guy, and make him reveal where Starfire and Beast Boy are."

"Maybe we should keep talking," Julia suggested nervously. "Just so we know that we're all still here. Keep us together."

"Good idea," Cyborg said in relief. "Well, I'm here. And right behind Robin and Julia."

"And I'm next to Julia, and in front of Cy," Robin added.

There was a pause.

"Raven? What about you?"

The Boy Wonder's question was left unanswered.

A chill went down Julia's spine, making her shiver.

"I'm starting to think that the holding hands plan was a good idea," she stated anxiously. "Can we at least touch shoulders to make sure we stay together?"

"That's fine with me," Robin replied, his voice unsure. "Cyborg, keep a hand on our shoulders so we know you're there."

There was no reply.

Julia whirled around, coming to a stop. Cyborg was gone, as well as the rest of the team. It was just Robin and her left in the dark hallway.

"Robin, I definitely think we should make contact," she remarked, her voice slightly high-pitched with terror.

"All right," the Boy Wonder responded, and they grasped each other's forearms reassuringly, holding on tightly. Then they continued down the hallway again, Julia still with her glowing hand raised in the air, lighting the way.

All of a sudden, Julia felt something slippery covering around her mouth and nose, catching her unawares and smothering her. Simultaneously, that same material tugged hard at her waist. It would've pulled her away instantly if she hadn't been holding on to Robin.

Feeling Julia's arm yanking away, Robin immediately tightened his grip on her. Julia made a muffled scream, then began shooting lightning bolts from her free hand, into the darkness around her.

The material loosened its grip and disappeared, as quickly as it had come. The Asian girl coughed, gasping in air. She could've been suffocated. Robin moved closer to her, squinting into her face.

"Julia, are you all right? What happened?"

After she'd stopped coughing and gasping, Julia looked at him again. Her eyes were wide with horror, and her face was unusually pale. She could feel her body shaking from her narrow escape.

"There was this slippery thing that covered my mouth and nose, and stopped me from breathing. It went around my waist and tried pulling me away…" She trailed off, shuddering.

"Well, whatever it is, it can't get one of us while we're still holding on to each other," Robin remarked uncertainly. For once, he didn't seem sure of himself at all. "Anyway," he added, "we're at the end of the hallway."

Sure enough, they'd reached the end of the long hallway, which finished in an archway. It was so dark, that they couldn't see what was beyond the doorway. The two teens moved forward, out of the dreaded hallway, walking a little farther out.

"Where do you think we are?" Julia asked, after a moment's silence. She didn't like those moments of quiet - they only seemed to be instants when people could go missing.

As if in answer to this question, the area was unexpectedly illuminated with bright white lights, glaring from the roof, which was a long ways up, probably a few floors high. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all a blinding white, and made of tile. The room was shaped in a cylinder, rounded, with the flat floor and roof. The only exit was the archway, small compared to the overall size of the room.

"What-"

Just as abruptly, the archway was sealed off by another large tile of the same gleaming white color, sliding from the floor. The two teens were standing in the middle of the room, right in the dead center. They were trapped, with no way out that they could see.

Julia, who had automatically shut her eyes when the intense lights had come on, could still see the blazing light through her eyelids. She had still kept her grip on Robin's forearm, although she had drained the lightning from her other hand, and was now using it to cover her dazzled eyes.

"Robin!" she cried, alarmed, her voice echoing in the space. The sudden lighting of the room had caught them both by surprise. Her hand tightened over the youth's forearm.

"Julia. I'm still here."

For the first time, Julia felt reassured by just hearing the team leader's voice.

"Where are we?" She heard the terror and shakiness in her voice. It hardly seemed like her own. She sounded, and felt, like a small child, lost from her parents. It was not a feeling she enjoyed.

"I don't know," Robin replied. Julia could tell that he was trying to sound brave, to assure her that all hope was not lost. "But let's find out. Are your eyes adjusted to the light?"

Removing her hand from her eyes, Julia blinked, squinting in the glare of the lights.

"Yes, a little," she answered, blinking hard. She looked around to see that Robin was looking back at her. She couldn't tell, because of his mask, if he was squinting and blinking like she was, but she was pretty sure that he hadn't adjusted fully to the sudden light, either.

"I wonder where we are," Robin mused, looking around at the room. "Still in the house, probably."

"Yes, but where's the others?" Julia asked, her voice trembling. If they couldn't find the rest of the Teen Titans…

Robin's voice, in contrast, was determinedly strong.

"We'll find them," he replied resolutely. "And when we find them, we'll deal with the guy who did all of this."

"I am no guy."

The disembodied voice that spoke came out of nowhere, loud and echoing in the cylindrical room. It was a girl's voice, young and adolescent.

Robin and Julia whirled around to find the source of the voice. On a large white tile was a screen with a video feed of a teen girl around their age, who was Caucasian, with the stereotypical honey-blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. She wore expensive, designer clothes, and looked well groomed.

"Who are you?" Robin asked. His raised voice, like the girl's, echoed around the room.

The blond girl smiled, and there was something snobby and cruel in it.

"You can call me Aphrodite," the girl replied sweetly. "Because I should so be the Greek Goddess of Beauty."

"Then you'd also have to be the Goddess of Love," Julia pointed out. Seeing the girl had bolstered her confidence somewhat. She loathed stuck-up preppy girls like that blond. "And you don't seem like that kind of person."

The blond, Aphrodite, narrowed her perfectly made-up eyes at Julia.

"You're in no position to be making insults," she said icily, wagging a manicured finger at her from the screen. "You're trapped, and you haven't seen the worst of it. I was hoping for none of you to be left, but…" She sighed. "You can't have everything. But I will soon."

Robin glared at the screen.

"What have you done with the other Titans?" he yelled angrily. "If you've hurt them-"

"Oh, cool your jets, Robbie-poo," Aphrodite interrupted airily. When Robin made a raging sound at the nickname, the blond added, "Oh yes, I got that from one of your admirers. A complete wimp, though, that Kitten."

The Boy Wonder scowled.

"What do you want?" he growled. Julia glanced at him. She'd never seen him so incredibly angry. He hadn't even been this furious when she'd accidentally shorted out the Tower's electricity because one of her power mishaps.

Aphrodite examined her nails casually.

"Nothing too big. Just, you know, the whole city under my command. That includes the designer clothing stores, jewelry stores, and everything else. And endless wealth."

"Is that it?" Julia commented sarcastically. "Do you want the whole world on a plate?"

The blond smirked.

"Oh, that comes after I've taken the city, the state, the country, and then the continent. Then the world's next. And I've got plenty of time."

Furiously, Robin took out three of his exploding discs, which he threw at the projector screen. It flickered, then shorted out. The tile became completely white again.

"That was uncalled for, Robbie-poo," Aphrodite's voice rang through the room. "Now you can't see my beautiful face. But I can still see and hear you."

"Do you think we care about seeing your ugly mug?" Julia shouted back (A/N: Potter Puppet Pals). She was experienced in a annoying preppy girls, having done so during school. Aphrodite seemed no different from them.

There was a sharp gasp from Aphrodite, through the speakers.

"Why, you little…! You will _so_ pay for that!"

In the split second of silence after this declaration, Robin turned to Julia.

"What did you do that for?" he hissed in an undertone. "You just motivated her into killing us! Couldn't you have held that in?"

In response, Julia shook her head.

"She was bound to incense one of us into saying something like that," she replied in a low whisper. "And this way, we won't have to hear more of her stupid babbling. And we'll be more on guard."

A second later, the sliding tile on the archway slid downwards, revealing the black interior of the hallway. There was a low rumbling noise, which was followed by heavy thumps from the hallway. Something was coming out.

Instinctively, Julia and Robin took a few paces backwards from the archway. Robin went into a fighting position as Julia summoned lightning to her hands, which were turned upwards. The two teens waited for the inevitable.

A golden paw, as wide as a trash can lid, stepped from the darkness of the hallway. It made a surprisingly loud thump on the white tile floor. Then it was followed by an identical paw, both with curved claws the size and sharpness of knives.

A fully-grown, giant lion stepped out from the dim interior of the hallway. He was tall, with completely golden fur and mane, which seemed to be glowing a faintly amber color. Robin only came up to his shoulder. The lion's teeth, bared in a menacing snarl, were white and razor-sharp.

Julia moaned softly in dismay, gazing up at the lion. It towered over her and Robin, even when it was crouching low in a position she knew to be one that lions took before pouncing. Robin himself was wordless in shock.

"Meet the Nemean Lion," Aphrodite said smugly, her voice echoing around the room once more. "He's big, isn't he? I made certain of that."


	30. Nemean Lion

**A/N:** This chapter explores what would happen if Julia and Robin were paired in a fight against a giant golden lion, with no apparent exit. Needless to say, I had a bit of a writers block when I wrote this.

* * *

Julia had never felt so short in her life. Now, she was aware of it more than ever. The Nemean Lion stalked closer, eyes on the two teens as he bared a mouthful of teeth, each the length of a hand.

"Please tell me you have some kind of idea," the Asian girl remarked faintly, her eyes still on the giant predator. "Any kind of idea."

Robin began to edge to the side as the Nemean Lion approached them, golden tail swishing in apprehension.

"Try to avoid the teeth and claws," the Boy Wonder replied. He produced three of his exploding metal discs, held ready between his fingers. As Julia rolled her eyes, he added, "And get it in its weak spot - the underside."

With a yell, the youth hurled the discs at the Nemean Lion, just as the creature pounced towards him. The discs exploded against the underbelly of the lion, but with no effect - the explosions didn't even singe the fur. Robin was forced to dive to the side to avoid the Nemean Lion, which swiped at him with one large claw.

As the giant lion whirled around, eyes searching for his prey once again, Julia attempted to distract him. Summoning a fistful of lightning, she threw it straight into his face. The result was that the predator gave a roar of pain, and began to charge at the Asian girl, instead.

Cursing mentally, Julia sprinted towards Robin, as the Nemean Lion slammed one paw where she had just been. The second time, she wasn't so lucky.

As the golden lion's paw sped towards her, Julia skidded to a halt. Raising both hands, she let her lightning stream through her arms, and spill into the air in front of her, spreading outwards quickly to create a sparking shield.

Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough.

The Nemean Lion's claw slammed against the shield, making Julia cry out at the force of the recoil, and causing the shield to flare briefly, then die. The remaining momentum was enough to catch Julia in the torso, and fling her backwards. The girl hit the wall behind her, and slid to the ground.

"Julia!"

Sprinting forward, Robin threw two birdarangs, which bounced off the lion's golden coat. It didn't even distract the creature, which prowled closer to Julia. The Asian girl, groaning, attempted to get to her feet. Seeing Robin take out two more explosive discs, she scowled.

"It's the Nemean Lion, you idiot!" Julia flattened herself against the wall to get as far away from the monster as she could, while yelling at Robin at the same time. "Its coat is impermeable to _everything_. Whatever you throw at it, it won't make a difference!"

She ducked as the Nemean Lion's claw smashed into the wall right above her, sending splinters of white tile raining down on her. Avoiding the debris, the girl began to run to the side.

Ignoring the idiot comment, Robin tossed two more discs towards the monster. Hitting the lion's right paw, the discs effectively encased it in a thick sheath of pure ice. As the Nemean Lion placed that paw onto the ground, it slipped, falling onto the ground with a roar of rage.

In the time that the predator was trying to get to its feet once more, Julia had reached Robin. Gasping for breath, she stopped at his side, summoning lightning to her hands in preparation.

Robin, for his part, was looking calm, if a little frustrated. "So if its coat is resistant to every attack, what's its weak spot?" he demanded, two more ice discs in his hands. "It's got to have one."

Mind racing wildly, trying to remember what she'd learned in school, Julia bit her lip.

"I don't-"

As the Nemean Lion gave another snarl of fury, the answer suddenly came to her.

"It's mouth."

Eyes on the predator, Robin raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

Elated by her sudden idea, Julia turned to the Boy Wonder.

"Its weakness is its mouth," she repeated. "Get it to open its mouth, and throw something into it."

As they spoke, the lion slammed its frozen paw against the wall. The cover of ice shattered, and the monster wheeled around to face its prey again.

"Do you think whatever we throw is enough to kill it, though?" Robin demanded, crouching into position. "It's huge."

Julia shook her head as the Nemean Lion began to leap towards them, teeth bared in what eerily resembled a grin.

"No, it's not going to kill it. We just have to distract it enough so that we can get out of here."

"And leave the others?"

Annoyed, Julia rounded on the Boy Wonder.

"Do you want another chance to live and find them, or die here and never get that chance?"

Unfortunately, Robin never got the chance to reply. In a second, the Nemean Lion was above them, jaws open wide to devour them. Seizing her chance, Julia shot a stream of lightning between the foot-long teeth, just as Robin threw five exploding discs into the lion's maw.

The resounding explosion was massive. Staggering backwards from the force, Nemean Lion writhed from the pain, limbs flailing. Unluckily, one of its paws struck Robin, knocking the youth off his feet and heaving him at the other side of the room. The Boy Wonder hit the ground hard.

"Robin!"

Their plan wasn't working as well as they'd hoped. The Nemean Lion, enraged by its own pain, got to its feet and turned its burning eyes towards Robin, who was slowly picking himself up. The predator, letting out a feral growl, began to lope towards the youth, who only had the wall behind him, and nowhere to go. He was trapped.

Inwardly praying for luck, Julia threw all caution to the winds. With both hands, she seized gusts of wind and formed them into a small tornado, her power forcing the air determinedly. One hand above the tornado and one below it, she flattened the twister with solid air, turning it into a platform of whirling air, solid on the top and bottom, with a diameter of five feet.

Climbing on top of the wind platform, the Asian girl steered it with her mind, flying her transportation towards Robin. The wind making her hair fly past her face, Julia maneuvered the wind platform underneath the Nemean Lion, racing it towards its target.

Robin looked up, stunned.

"What the…?"

Urging the wind to go faster, the Asian girl thrust out a hand as she neared the Boy Wonder.

"Robin! Take my hand!"

Unsure of the dependability of Julia's new mode of transportation, Robin whipped out a few more exploding discs, glancing up at the Nemean Lion, which was beginning to salivate from the anticipation of its kill.

Frustrated, Julia sped the wind platform up. She was almost there. If Robin wasn't prepared to get on…

"Robin! _Trust me!_"

It all happened within seconds.

Throwing his exploding discs into the Nemean Lion's face, Robin reached one arm towards Julia. As the golden lion roared again, temporarily blinded, Julia swooped under its head and took hold of Robin's arm. Grasping him, she soared upwards, dodging the thrashing lion.

Then Robin's green glove began to slip.

For one brief second, Julia thought the youth would fall. Then the Boy Wonder swung his other arm up, and the Asian girl grabbed it, hauling him over the edge of the platform and onto the top.

Breathing hard, Robin stayed on all fours to steady himself as the wind platform flew straight up, towards the ceiling. The Nemean Lion, seeing that its prey was out of reach, gave a primal rage of fury. The sound echoed around the room, amplified by the empty space.

Realizing something, the leader looked alarmed.

"How do we get through?"

Julia glanced upwards. The ceiling was approaching at a rapid pace.

"Throw some of your exploding discs," she ordered, her voice commanding once more. "I'll shield us from the debris."

Immediately, Robin flung five discs in a row, all of them hitting the ceiling in a circle. As they exploded, the white tiles broke apart and began to rain down on the two teens.

Julia, kneeling, raised one hand above them. Lightning spilled from her hands, creating a dome of electricity around the two of them. As the tiles and cement fell, the shield effectively protected them, sparking whenever a debris came in contact with it. Still, it held.

A second later, they were rising into the cool night air. Free from the building and its creatures, and leaving four Titans behind.


	31. No Turning Back

**A/N:** I've been working on the story, and I've finally got the ending all figured out. Writing it, of course, is another whole story. Hopefully, I'll have the entire story done by the end of the summer. Then I can post the mini-stories that take place around the same time as "Calling All Titans" and "Titans Together". Those do include Kid Flash, by the way.

Oh, and I rewrote Chapter 25: Silver. If you have time, check it out. I made some major changes in the middle part.

Anyway, back to the original story. I'll probably be posting one chapter every day, or every other day. Keep reading!

* * *

No sooner had they flown one block did Robin struggle to his feet.

"Turn back," he ordered, his voice steely.

Taken aback, Julia stared at him. They were both leaning forward slightly, bracing themselves against the onslaught of the wind. Robin's cape snapped in the gust, as Julia's hair was blown away from her face, revealing her stunned expression.

"What?!"

The Boy Wonder met her eyes, his face determined.

"Turn back, Julia. We have to go back and get the rest of the Titans."

Julia heaved a sigh of frustration.

"Robin, we can't. It's too dangerous."

Robin narrowed his eyes.

"Scared?"

Julia's eyes flared. Taking a step towards Robin, she glared into his eyes.

"Look, Robin. We can't go back. We don't know if the rest of them are still there. We don't even know our way around that place. And we're not ready to fight." When Robin began shaking his head, the Asian girl cut him off. "Robin, face the truth, for once. You can't do everything. You're not invincible. _We're not turning back._"

Faster than Julia expected, Robin gripped her wrist, his face inches from hers. For one second, the Asian girl thought Robin would kiss her. Then the Boy Wonder scowled, an unyielding expression on his face.

"Turn back, Julia, or _I'll make you_."

He was actually threatening her. And there was really only once choice left. Julia knew she had to take it, even as a rush of guilt tore through her at the thought.

Still clenching Julia's wrist, Robin was startled as he saw the Asian girl's eyes soften.

"I'm sorry, Robin."

The next second, a jolt of electricity raced through Julia's body, spreading through her arm, and electrifying the Boy Wonder. The power wasn't enough to hurt him, but it was enough to knock him out cold.

Catching the unconscious Robin as he fell, Julia lowered the youth gently to the wind platform, holding him carefully so that he wouldn't be swept off the side. Noting several injuries, she changed the direction of her wind platform. Before going to the Titans Tower, she had to make a detour.

* * *

Robin awoke a few hours later. Judging from the artificial light shining on his face, and the low hum of machines, he was obviously in a medical room. Most likely the infirmary in Titans Tower.

Sure enough, when the youth opened his eyes, he was met with a familiar sight - the ceiling, lit with energy-efficient light fixtures put in specifically by Cyborg a year ago.

Cyborg. The rest of the Titans. All of them, disappeared.

"The team."

Struggling to sit up, the Boy Wonder was pushed back gently by a firm hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw who sat by his side, keeping him still - Julia. It was Julia, who had knocked him out after refusing to go back to where the other Titans had disappeared.

"_Julia_." The anger was unmistakable in his voice, along with something else.

"Robin, just rest. You need it."

The Asian girl looked tired. There were dark circles underneath her eyes, and her eyes were slightly red from lack of sleep. Numerous bleeding cuts were scattered over her body, and there were bruises from when she'd hit the wall, and when she'd nearly been pulled into the darkness by the invisible force.

Scowling, Robin realized something.

"My injuries. They're healed."

As the Boy Wonder looked at her in confusion, Julia shook her head.

"No, I don't have the power to heal. I just used some, uh, equipment to speed your recovery. You're been out for awhile, so I'm pretty sure you're mostly healed."

At the word 'equipment', Robin glanced to the side at the humming machinery. It looked almost brand new, but a little used. On a small sticker to the side, there were the words, "Property of Jump City Hospital, Use: High Priority Injuries". The machine looked familiar - it had recently come out, and been bought by the Jump City Hospital, for a pricey sum. It was a new technology that healed injuries more quickly than normal, by speeding up the body's own fixing processes. It was costly and time-consuming, but effective.

Startled, the youth met Julia's eyes.

"Did you-?"

Standing, the Asian girl just shook her head.

"Don't ask," she replied flatly, moving over to the machine's monitor, which displayed some of Robin's body readings, as well as several diagrams, including his skeletal, muscle, and circulatory system.

"Your readings are normal now," Julia remarked, poring over the data. "Everything seems fine."

"_You_ don't."

Surprised, the girl turned to Robin.

"What?"

The Boy Wonder sat up carefully, taking off the circular sensors/connectors that had been fastened to his body. Apparently, the new technology didn't require full contact with the patient's skin.

"You didn't heal yourself," Robin pointed out, swinging his legs over the side of the cot. His face was expressionless, but there was something restrained in his voice that Julia couldn't identify. "You waited until I was fine before working on your own injuries."

Flushing, Julia turned away and began to apply a certain healing medicine to her cuts. Not looking at the youth behind her, who was watching her closely, she replied quietly, "I had to make sure you were all right."

Slowly, Robin stood up.

"Thank you…"

Finished applying the medicine to her cuts, Julia closed her eyes. This was probably the only time the youth would say this to her. She had to treasure it while she could. If he deduced her identity as Athene from her theft of the hospital's machinery-

"…but no thank you."

Taken aback, Julia whirled around. Robin was right in front of her, closer than she'd thought - he must've silently taken a few steps forward - and his face was resolute.

"What?"

Looking down at her - when had he gotten taller? - the Boy Wonder clenched his jaw.

"You defied my orders, and knocked me unconscious," he told her, his voice hard. So that was what he'd been restraining: his anger. "And you stole some high priority technology from the hospital? Julia, what's wrong with you?"

"'What's wrong with me'?" The Asian girl lifted her chin, meeting Robin's eyes challengingly. "What about you? It would've been suicide to go back to that building, and you had the nerve to _threaten_ me to turn back."

"You stole from a hospital!" Robin retorted, hands balled into fists. "Are you crazy? In case you didn't know, thievery is a crime. And to top it off, you knocked your own leader out! Why the hell-"

"-let's see," Julia shouted, interrupting the youth. "Maybe I knew that it was useless to go back to that stupid building, where we nearly got killed, since you weren't physically ready for another fight with a giant lion. Maybe I had to find a way, any way, to heal you, even if I had to steal because of it. And sue me for saying this, but maybe I cared for your own life, even if you didn't!"

Turning on her heel, the girl stormed out of the room. The steel infirmary door closed, leaving an utterly angry and confused Robin in the room.

Hearing a small beep, the youth turned. On one corner of the machine monitor was the digital time: 3:00 am. Robin stared at the glowing numbers, realization forcefully hitting him.

Julia had stayed up, sleepless, for 5 hours and into the morning, to heal him.

* * *

Entering the Titans Tower gym, Julia strode over to the nearest punching bag and slammed one fist into it. Eyes flashing, the girl began throwing kicks and punches into the black bag, ignoring her aching body. She had been trained to keep going, no matter what state her body was in. Of course, a couple of cups of coffee was keeping her awake and energized for the time being.

Robin. God, he was so infuriating. Julia had sacrificed so much - her identity, health, time - all to help him. And all he could say to her was that she'd stolen a stupid machine, and defied his orders. What was wrong with _him_? He was so obsessive, stupid, self-centered -

The lightning sprang from her fist before she realized it. As Julia sank her lightning-filled fist into the punching bag, the material ripped from the raw power. Halting, the girl stared down at the cotton that was spilling from the tightly packed bag.

Great. Just great. There was no way she could do regular workouts or burn off her anger now that she was too fired up.

Which left another option. It probably wasn't a good idea, but it would work. Reason and logic had left her, having been replaced with anger and hurt.

Making up her mind in a split second, Julia left the gym at a run.


	32. Just A Game

**A/N:** I definitely appreciate all the reviews. And since I've planned out the ending, the story might be finished sooner than I thought. Then, I'll be able to concentrate on a few other shorter fanfics.

* * *

"Athene."

Robin made a low noise in his throat, almost a growl, as he raced down the Jump City streets on his R-Cycle. He'd been sitting on the infirmary cot, resting, when his Titans communicator had gone off, reporting an Athene sighting.

And without any of the other Titans, and Julia currently angry with him for some reason, Robin had been forced to go alone, even when he wasn't at his best form. Still, that hadn't prevented him. Duty was duty, no matter what.

Screeching to a stop at a warehouse - was it the same warehouse as before? - Robin leapt off his R-Cycle and sprinted towards the doors. Throwing them open with a bang, he came in with his bo staff extended and ready. In his haste, he'd forgotten his mistake from last time.

With a loud thud, the two doors slammed shut behind the youth, cutting off his main source of light. Now there was only the faint light falling through slim cracks in the ceiling. His eyes not yet adjusted to the darkness, Robin couldn't see who - or what - had closed and locked the doors.

"Athene." Frustrated, Robin took a few steps forward. His eyes were beginning to pick up the area around him. Definitely the same warehouse as last time. What was going on?

"Robin." Athene's voice was cool and calm, but the Boy Wonder could detect the pent-up energy in her voice. She was restraining herself. "How nice of you to come. Alone. Did you miss me?"

Eyes fully adjusted, Robin scanned the room. There. On the far side of the warehouse, standing in the shadows - Athene. She was standing still, her arms crossed as she thoughtfully considered the youth in front of her. Did she know that he could see her?

Whipping out three birdarangs, Robin swiftly threw them in the thief's direction. The red weapons sped towards the girl, whistling from the sheer speed.

But she'd seen them already. Calmly, Athene did a few flips to dodge the birdarangs, which buried themselves into the wall behind her. Glancing at them, the girl smiled at Robin in a condescending way that made his jaw clench.

"I'll take that as a yes," the thief remarked. As Robin crouched, ready to spring forward, the girl mimicked his position. "You want to hit me so bad? Go ahead."

Like released springs, the two opponents leapt towards each other, crossing the distance between them in a few long strides. Both hid knives behind their backs as they did so, their faces never betraying their movements.

Then they clashed.

Deflecting Robin's knife thrust, Athene used the youth's shoulder to take a graceful leap over him. Crouching low, she swept one leg out to imbalance the Boy Wonder. Robin quickly jumped to avoid being knocked to the ground, then was forced to bend far backwards as Athene's knife flashed in front of him in a curve.

As he dodged the attack, the youth noticed that the slash had been far from cutting him. Even if he had stayed upright, he never would've been cut. And knowing his opponent, she hadn't accidentally missed him.

Which meant that Athene was simply playing with him.

Stunned, Robin took a few flips backward to get away. When he finally landed, he saw that Athene had stayed in the same position, waiting for him to make the first move. Her violet eyes blazed behind her mask as she sheathed her knives.

"You're - _toying_ with me?" Robin asked, surprised. He swiftly tucked his own knives away. "You're not really trying to hurt me."

He was rewarded with a smirk from his opponent.

"Clever, Robin. Very clever. Here's your prize." Athene blew him a kiss, then settled back into her fighting position. "If you want more, all you have to do is come get it."

Half-appalled, half-amused, Robin raised one eyebrow.

"Fine. Two can play at that game."

Flinging three birdarangs in Athene's direction, he raced forward. As planned, the thief was briefly distracted as she dodged the weapons. As soon as the girl turned her attention back to Robin, he was right in front of her.

Laying a punch to her jaw, Robin sent Athene sailing backwards. But as the Boy Wonder jumped forward to continue his attack, the thief seized his wrist in a complicated position. The exact one that Robin himself had taught Julia.

As the youth's eyes widened, Athene twisted his wrist to the side, forcing him to fall to his knees, his other hand bracing himself against the ground as he bent over in pain.

Now standing, Athene looked down at Robin crouched on the ground, his face twisted in pain. Both from the physical pain, and his realization.

"Now, now, Robin. Pain gives you character, remember?"

A second later, the girl was on her own knees as Robin swept her legs out from underneath her, then twisted her wrist. The Boy Wonder stood over her, his face grim.

"Never lecture me," he replied, twisting Athene's wrist even farther, and making her clench her teeth. "Especially on pain."

The thief let out a dry laugh, even as her wrist throbbed.

"Go on, Robin," she told him challengingly. "Break my wrist. Take me to the authorities. But do you really want to get rid of me, and never see me again?"

Robin didn't move. For a moment, he froze, his grip slackened by a fraction.

"I-"

The next second, the Boy Wonder was hurled back as Athene heaved a punch into his torso. Hitting the ground a few feet away, the youth looked up to see his adversary leisurely doing a few flips towards him.

Athene serenely landed in front of Robin as the youth picked himself up slowly. Usually, he wouldn't let a single punch through his defenses. His fighting was definitely slower, probably as a result of his fatigue. And something else.

"Oh, Robin." The girl stopped a few feet away, her hands on her hips as she cocked her head to one side in understanding. "You're holding back, too."

Brushing himself off, Robin wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, then went back to his fighting position.

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are," Athene interrupted, her lips curling into a smile. "I'm so touched. You're restraining yourself because it's me you're fighting. You actually don't want to hurt-"

"Shut up!" More quickly than the thief expected, Robin dove forward and flung her back with a well-placed kick, sending the girl backwards into the concrete wall behind her. The Boy Wonder moved in, but his anger and frustration had made him careless. Athene had knowingly pushed his buttons for this purpose, and succeeded.

As Robin leapt forwards, Athene recovered and sank one solid fist into his diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her opponent in a single, deft movement.

Winded, the Boy Wonder stumbled, then braced one hand against the wall to prevent himself from falling to his knees. As his adversary watched, he gasped for breath, unable to do anything but attempt to breathe once more.

Leaning against the wall next to Robin, Athene reached one hand towards him, her eyes pitying.

"Robin. It's too easy for me to get to you, isn't it? You really can't prevent it from affecting you."

As his breath slowly returned, Robin froze as Athene cupped the side of his face in one hand, her hand cool against his flushed face.

"Wait. What're you-"

"Shh…"

Leaning forward, the girl gently pressed her lips against Robin's cheek. The Boy Wonder, stunned, didn't move. Even though he wasn't moving a muscle, his heart continued to race.

"Am I intruding on something?"

Whirling around, Athene and Robin saw that the two warehouse doors were open, revealing a single figure framed in the doorway - Red X.

"Red X."

Athene's voice, although quiet, was filled with dread. Hearing this, Robin instinctively went into a fighting position, shielding the girl and placing himself between her and the black-clothed thief. His voice dropped an octave as he narrowed his eyes.

"You."

The caped thief chuckled, taking a few steps forward into the warehouse.

"Robin, the Boy Blunder. Taking a night off?"

Stiffening, Robin drew out his bo staff.

"What're you doing here?" he demanded, his voice harsh. Red X shrugged.

"I could ask you the same thing. _Both_ of you."

Remembering Athene, Robin turned-

-to find that the space was empty. Athene had disappeared.

Laughing, Red X folded his arms.

"Looks like she got the better of you. Maybe next time you'll get lucky, right?"

Turning, Robin glared at the thief.

"Don't make me-"

"Don't make you do what?" his opponent countered, his voice mocking even when mechanized. "Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm out. We'll talk later. Don't bother looking for me - I'll find you first."

Realizing what Red X was about to do, Robin sprinted forwards. But before he could reach the thief, Red X had already vanished into thin air. Cursing under his breath at everything that had happened that night, the Boy Wonder jumped onto his R-Cycle and headed back to Titans Tower.


	33. The Mark

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who have submitted reviews. They definitely keep me motivated to keep writing, even when I'm feeling lazy. I know I haven't updated the story in a bit because I've been busy. By tomorrow, however, I should be back on track again.

Oh, and about this chapter - don't over think it.

* * *

"Of all the times _he_ could've appeared…"

Muttering darkly to herself, Julia stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Attacking her hair with a hairdryer and a brush, the girl continued to go over the recent events in her mind.

Despite the fact that it was early in the morning, and she'd slept barely a few hours during the night, the Asian girl continued to get ready for the day. Or clean up from last night.

After escaping from the warehouse without Robin noticing, she'd flown back to the Tower and proceeded to take a much-needed shower, partly to clean up, and partly to wake herself up properly. Coffee would be another must-have.

Still thinking about Red X's appearance (and trying not to think about what had happened with Robin), Julia wandered into her room, still meditatively brushing her hair. The girl finally stopped in front of her large window, looking out over the bay, thinking.

Eventually, she'd have to face Robin again, but as Julia. As Athene, she'd been completely bold and flirtatious, more than she ever would be as Julia (and without a mask). The sheer thrill of the challenging fight, not to mention the adrenaline, had brought out a side of her that she rarely showed. What would she say to Robin when she saw him again?

Abruptly, there was a sharp knock on her door.

Still deep in thought, Julia responded without thinking.

"Come in."

The door slid open behind her, then closed.

"Uh…"

Julia turned around to find Robin, who merely stared at her for a moment, then turned completely around to face the closed door, one hand over his masked eyes.

"What-"

Suddenly, Julia realized exactly why Robin had turned around and refused to look at her - she was only wearing a towel. Horrified, the girl dashed into her walk-in closet, slamming the door shut behind her.

Once behind the safety of the door, she sat on a low stool, breathing deeply to calm herself down.

"Damn." That was definitely unexpected. She'd been so completely caught off-guard that she hadn't remembered that she'd only been wearing a towel. Now Robin knew what she looked like with only a towel on. Knowing guys, he'd probably be thinking dirty thoughts. Good thing he was good at hiding his thoughts and feelings.

There was a long moment of silence as Julia closed her eyes, trying to control her embarrassment. Still, she didn't hear her door open and close. Which meant that Robin was still there.

The silence stretched on.

"Uh, Julia?"

Julia looked up at the door, mentally debating whether to reply. Her good side won over.

"Yeah?"

She was ready for a reply like, 'Sorry I caught you at a bad time' or 'I'll be leaving now'. But definitely not what Robin ended up saying.

"I've kinda got…a problem. And I need you to help me."

Huh. That was another unexpected thing. Robin, needing help? From her? _Well_, she reminded herself, _it's not like the other Titans are around to help_.

Standing up slowly, the girl walked over to the door. Stopping in front of it, she frowned.

"What kind of problem?"

There was a quiet sigh from the other side of the door.

"It's…just this thing. I have this thing - this, uh, mark. And I, uh, need your help to…get it off."

Robin was actually stammering. He was actually at a loss for words, for once, and didn't know what to say. This was definitely new. And kinda nice.

Smiling, Julia leaned her back against the door, unaware that Robin was doing the exact same thing on the other side of the door.

"A mark?" The girl folded her arms. "What kind of mark? If you're talking about an injury or something, I can't really help you there."

"It's not an injury or anything." Even through the door, the frustration and embarrassment was evident in Robin's voice.

Frowning, Julia tilted her head back to look at the ceiling.

"Well, then, what is it?"

The Boy Wonder's reply was almost a whisper, as if he was mortified to even say it.

"It's a print. From lipstick."

Whoa. Julia covered her mouth with one hand to smother her laugh. She knew where the lip print had come from - Athene's lipstick. Robin had found that water wasn't enough to wipe it off, and he had no idea how else to get it off. So he'd come to her, thinking that she'd know.

When Julia was sure that she had control over her laughter, she took a deep breath.

"I'll be out in a minute."

Still smiling, she quickly dressed, parted her hair properly, then did a few last-minute touches. After grabbing a bottled liquid and a few cotton swabs from a box of makeup supplies, the girl opened the door and strode back into the room.

Robin was pacing around the room, looking down at his feet, hands clasped behind his back. When Julia entered the room, he looked up. In the bright light from the ceiling lamp, the lipstick mark - dark red and puckered - was visible on the youth's left cheek.

"Thank God. I didn't know if-"

Julia cut him off before he could go on and remind her of the recent embarrassment.

"It's no problem," she assured him, walking over. Pointing at the bed, she ordered, "Sit down. This shouldn't take too long. I just need to put this makeup-remover onto the, um, mark."

Surprisingly, Robin obeyed, sinking onto the edge of the bed uncomfortably. Sitting on his left side, Julia unscrewed the cap of the bottle, thinking, _This has got to be one of the weirdest things I've ever done_.

"So…" The girl put a cotton swab on the top of the bottle and turned the bottle upside-down, then rightside-up, quickly. "How'd you get the mark?"

That _was_ what a regular person would ask, right? It wasn't just that Julia wanted to hear Robin's view of the event. Although that would be interesting to find out…

"Uh…" Robin sounded hesitant. Julia paused, waiting, the damp cotton swab an inch from the youth's face. "It was from a fight."

Was that how he was going to retell it?

"'From a fight'?" Julia repeated. Tentatively, she began to dab some of the makeup-remover onto the mark. Robin didn't move. "How did you get a lipstick print from a fight?"

The Boy Wonder grimaced.

"It was that thief from before," he explained, clearly embarrassed. It was strange to see Robin humiliated, when he always seemed so sure of himself. "It was Athene."

Julia paused.

"Athene?" she asked, making herself frown, as if just recalling a distant memory. "You mean the one that beat you up awhile back?"

As she'd expected, Robin bristled.

"She didn't beat me up that time," he retorted sharply. "And she didn't beat me up this time," he added, to the unspoken question.

Julia threw the cotton swab into the trashcan by her bed, wet another one, and began dabbing the liquid onto the mark again.

"So instead of beating you up," the girl clarified, trying to keep a straight face, "Athene kissed you. On the cheek." She gestured to the lip print.

To her amusement, Robin flushed in a un-Robin-ish way.

"Uh…yeah." The team leader glanced at Julia, to see that she was unable to restrain herself from smiling. "Stop grinning."

At this, Julia gave a laugh.

"Sorry," she replied, tossing the cotton swab into the trashcan. "It's just way too funny." Finished, the girl settled into a cross-legged position on the bed. "A girl thief who you're supposed to hate ends up kissing you. Did you kiss her back?" she asked, teasingly.

"No!" Robin shook his head vehemently. "Of course not. She's a thief. She's a criminal, egotistic, audacious-"

"-and cute?" Julia interjected innocently.

"Yes. I mean, no!" The Boy Wonder ran a hand through his gelled hair, frustrated. "No, I didn't mean that. She's not, uh-"

"So she's hot," Julia interrupted, her voice understanding. Really, teasing Robin was way too fun. "So a hot, daring, girl thief caught your eye, huh?"

"No!" The youth sprang to his feet and began pacing the room restlessly. "It's not that. I don't - I didn't-"

"Did you do beat her up afterwards?" Julia asked wisely, her voice quiet.

There was a long moment of silence as Robin stopped pacing, staring at a blank wall. Finally he turned around to look at Julia.

"No."

For a long time, the two of them were silent as they stared at each other. For Julia, something had suddenly changed the conversation from a joking tone, to a serious one. As she met Robin's eyes, the girl felt her face grow warm.

Robin was the first to break the silence.

"I - I'll see you at breakfast." Striding over to the door, he pressed the button to the side, making the door slide open. Without looking back, he said, "And thanks." Walking out of the room, the Boy Wonder let the door slide shut behind him.


	34. Monsters 101

**A/N:** Need. To. Get. Motivated. I really do. I have one more chapter after this, and then I've got to start writing like a speed demon.

By the way, a friend of mine recently paid an artist at a convention to draw a picture of Julia. Well...Julia later on. And even though a few things aren't exactly like I imagined it, it's still amazing. I'm not sure if it's possible to post pictures on this site. If not, then I might have to put link the picture to here. After, of course, I get my scanner to work.

Ahem. Back to the story.

* * *

"Hey. Good morn-"

Descending the steps in the Operations Room, Julia halted as she spotted Robin sitting at one of the computer consoles. The team leader was busily typing, his eyes narrowed and focused on the screen.

"Um..." Walking over to the youth, Julia stopped behind his chair and watched him peruse blueprints of the city's buildings. "Robin, have you eaten breakfast?"

Silence. The Boy Wonder continued to type rapidly, his eyes glued to the screen.

After a moment's hesitation, Julia tried again. Reaching out, she placed a hand on the youth's shoulder.

"_Robin_."

Instinctively, the boy whirled around, grabbing Julia's wrist as if in preparation to throw her across the room. At the last second, he realized who had disturbed him.

"Julia." Letting go of her wrist, the Titan turned back to the computer screen. "I'm busy working."

Frowning slightly, Julia crossed her arms.

"I can see that. Robin, have you eaten breakfast?"

The Boy Wonder shook his head as he typed in a few more commands.

"No. I didn't have the time. I went straight here to start searching for the rest of the team. I've been looking for any information on that building, but there doesn't seem to be any. The blueprints, the plans, the official documents – they're all missing from all databases."

Judging from the youth's businesslike tone, he'd already forgotten the moment in her room. Julia wasn't sure if she was glad or not.

At least he was the one doing the investigation. Although she was adept at working computers and machinery and even some hacking, her level of detective skills were definitely not at the Boy Wonder's level.

"Um, ok then. I'm just going to have some breakfast. Do you want anything?"

Robin shook his head.

"No, thanks. I'm fine. I need to keep working."

With one more glance back at the team leader, Julia went over to the kitchen. Even as she prepared a breakfast of cereal and coffee, she continued to watch Robin work, hunched over the computer console as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

Ten minutes later, the girl had finished her meal. Putting her dishes into the sink, she grabbed an apple from the fridge and wandered over to Robin again. Standing behind his chair, she watched the youth skim through the Internet, a frown of concentration on his face.

"Robin."

"Hmm?"

The Boy Wonder kept working.

"You really need to eat something."

Shaking his head, the youth waved a hand dismissively.

"Not now, Julia. I'm busy working. I don't have time to eat."

Frowning, the Asian girl leaned against the ledge next to the computer console.

"Robin, you have to eat _something_." Apple in hand, she waved it in front of the team leader's face. "At least have an apple. It takes about five seconds to eat."

Irritated, Robin paused to give the other teen an exasperated look.

"Julia, _no_. I know you're trying to be nice and everything, but I don't have time. Seriously. I need to get the other Titans back. Especially before anything bad happens to them."

"Even if you do find them, how can you fight on an empty stomach?" Julia demanded. With a sigh of frustration, the girl put herself between the Boy Wonder and the computer console, forcing the youth to back up.

"Seriously, Robin. You can't go on without eating anything. It's not healthy. Do you really want to collapse in the middle of a fight, just because you didn't get a good night's sleep, or eat breakfast? Do you know how incredibly _stupid_ that would be?"

Breathing slowly to calm himself, Robin massaged his temples. Finally he looked back up at Julia, who was determinedly still standing between him and the computer.

"Fine. But I'm only stopping for one minute."

Taking the apple from Julia's outstretched hand, the Boy Wonder ate it in record time as the girl watched him carefully. When Robin had eaten the fruit down to the core, he tossed what was left of it over his shoulder.

"Happy now? I ate something. Now move so I can keep working."

Arms crossed, Julia shook her head.

"No."

"What?"

Sighing, the Asian girl shook her head again.

"No, Robin. You need to eat more than that."

The Boy Wonder scowled.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder if you even care what happens to the rest of the team." As Julia's eyes widened, the youth's eyes narrowed. "Julia, _move_. Before I have to make you."

"Oh, so we're back to threatening each other?" The girl raised her eyebrows. "Face it, Robin – you need to take a break. You can't keep working like this for hours."

In response, the Boy Wonder leaned forward, meeting the teen's eyes determinedly.

"_Watch me_."

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The tension was abruptly broken by the Tower's alarm as it sounded the siren, the room flashing red. The wide screen was instantly switched on, displaying information on the emergency.

"A jail breakout," Robin announced, reading the info. He'd automatically jumped to his feet at the sound of the alarm. "Plasmus, Cinderblock, _and_ Overload. All three of them are causing havoc in the city."

Frowning, the Boy Wonder shook his head. "This is the worst timing in the world," he muttered. "Without the rest of the Titans..." His voice trailing off, the youth looked at Julia, who was watching the live video footage with a mixture of interest and unease. "Julia. Let's go."

Startled, the girl returned Robin's stare.

"Just the two of us?" she asked, surprised. "We're outnumbered. And I'm new at this, remember? An amateur."

The Titans leader shook his head and ran to the door. Pausing at the exit, he looked back at the Asian girl, who was following, still looking doubtful.

"You might not have the same priorities as the rest of us, but you're not an amateur anymore. From what I've seen you do with your powers and martial arts, you're ready for this. Now come on – we've got some criminals to catch."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Julia asked. Despite the fact that she and Robin were going over 60 miles per hour on the R-Cycle, their matching red and green helmets were linked by a communicating system, and allowed them both to speak to each other without shouting.

Robin had insisted on both of them using the motorcycle. Julia, he pointed out, was tired from last night's fight, and needed all the energy she could get to take down the three monsters. Which was how the Asian teen found herself sitting behind the Boy Wonder on his sleek red motorcycle.

"Of course I'm sure." The youth's voice was quiet and calm, in contrast to the girl's apprehensive tone. "We can do this. Two is a team, remember?"

Shaking her head, Julia didn't reply. She didn't share the Boy Wonder's optimistic outlook that the two of them could capture three super monsters bent on the city's destruction. Usually, it took a whole team to take down on the monsters. Only two superheroes against three giant monsters didn't seem like a fair fight.

As the sheer speed of the R-Cycle whipped the girl's hair behind her, she ducked her head into the lee of Robin's helmet. Surprisingly, holding onto his waist wasn't as embarrassing as she'd thought it would be. It felt almost natural, as if it was meant for the two of them to be out riding on a motorcycle to go fight crime.

Or maybe she was just used to holding onto Damien whenever they went out on his motorcycle. Either way, she still loved the thrill ride.

"Hey, Julia." Robin's voice, quieter than before, shook Julia from her moment of enjoyment.

"Hm?"

"I'm, uh, sorry." The Boy Wonder kept his eyes on the road as they swerved to avoid a truck on the highway.

Surprised, Julia frowned.

"For what?"

"Last night."

Of course. Thinking back, Julia remembered the brief fight they'd had, before she'd gone out as Athene. Robin had gotten mad over the fact that she'd stolen hospital machinery to heal him, and that she'd disobeyed his order and refused to return to the building where the Titans had disappeared.

"Oh." The Asian teen worked to remember why she'd been resentful to the youth. What with her kissing him, then wiping the evidence off later, she'd forgotten the previous events. She was mad at him because...he was mad at her? Because he'd gotten upset over something trivial?

At the moment, _her_ reason seemed trivial.

"Just forget about it," Julia replied, her voice low. "It's ok. It wasn't-"

A giant explosion suddenly erupted a block away from them, smoke flushing the air above as the sound of crumbling concrete reverberated in their ears. It was followed by loud scream and shouts as civilians came running from the scene, panicking as they tried to go as far as they could from the destruction.

"I guess that's our cue," Robin remarked. Accelerating the R-Cycle, he turned it in the direction from which the people were running from. As if on second thought, he nudged Julia with his elbow.

"Just some background info on what we're about to face," he told her, even as they wove through the fleeing pedestrians. "You have to get Plasmus by knocking him out. He'll turn back into his human form only when unconscious, but you have to use a giant force. Anything less he can recover quickly from."

As Robin abruptly veered to the right to doge a car speeding ion their direction, Julia nodded, processing the information as quickly as she could. Monsters 101 in a few seconds. "Overload's weakness is water, so try to douse him with it until he's only a chip," Robin continued. "And as for Cinderblock, knock him out by beating him up. His head's the best place to hit. Even if it's a rock like the rest of him, it still serves as his weakest spot."

Eyes still focused on the road, the Boy Wonder smiled grimly. "Got all that?"

Now edgier than before, Julia nodded.

"Roger that, Robin," she replied, and immediately felt her spirits drop for her unintended mention of her brother's name. She'd momentarily forgotten about her vow to find his murderer, something that made her feel guilty. What would he think if he knew that his sister had been worrying about the Boy Wonder, instead of him?

And what was she doing fighting against monsters she had no problem with, and protecting a city she had no duty to? Fighting crime alongside a superhero she had once defeated with satisfaction?

"Julia?" Robin sounded slightly concerned, as if he'd sensed her drop in determination. "You ok?"

The Asian girl closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. What was she doing here?

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Unconvinced, the Titan glanced back at Julia briefly.

"It'll be ok, Julia," he told her confidently, mistaking her lack of enthusiasm for worry. "With our skills combined, we can do this, no problem. Just keep fighting."

A second later, the two teens turned a corner, and faced the scene: Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload making their way down Main Street, wreaking havoc. The three escaped monsters were walking in the opposite direction, trashing everything in sight.

"Oh, and Julia?"

The Asian girl, who had been staring at the three monsters, looked back at Robin.

"Yeah?"

The Boy Wonder sped the R-Cycle up, until they were half a block away from the monsters. Slowing down their speed drastically, he skidded the motorcycle to a stop and took off his helmet.

"You're temporarily a Titan."

As Julia, stunned by the sudden news, threw off her own helmet and dismounted, the team leader jumped off the R-Cycle, cape snapping in the wind.

"Teen Titans, GO!"


	35. Two Is A Team

**A/N:** I swear I'm getting excited as the story is starting to get to the climax. Not really soon, mind you, but it's coming. I've worked so hard for so long to write this story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and everyone who's even reading this fanfic.

* * *

Julia didn't even have time to think about what had just happened. Robin had begun to run towards the three monsters, four explosive discs held ready in his right hand. Sprinting after him, Julia mentally rifled through the Boy Wonder's info on their opponent's weaknesses. To her, Overload was the biggest problem. His electricity could possibly have no effect on Julia – to a certain extent – but applied to Robin, it could be fatal. Plasmus and Cinderblock, on the other hand, were lesser threats by a small amount.

Scanning the surrounding area for any inspiration, the Asian girl spotted two fire hydrants, positioned on opposite sides of the street, twenty-five feet apart. Although the neighboring buildings were half-destroyed by the escaped criminals, the metal objects were undamaged and clear of any rubble.

It was the closest water source that they would be able to find.

"Robin! The fire hydrants!"

Hearing the girl's shout, the youth skidded to a halt. As he looked around, then withdrew another disc from his belt, Julia mentally thanked the gods that the Boy Wonder was quick thinking. From just a few words, he'd realized what she was planning.

Without a moment of thought, Robin hurled a disc at the farthest fire hydrant. The metal weapon adhered to the closed nozzle and began flashing a tiny red light, counting down five seconds. Meanwhile, Julia aimed her hand at the nearest fire hydrant, as lightning began to crawl down her arm, powering up for the shot.

Plasmus, Overload, and Cinderblock, unaware of what was happening behind them, continued marching down the street, wrecking the buildings on either side. The people on the entire street had long since fled the scene, leaving the three to destroy everything uninterrupted. Until now.

Just as Robin's disc exploded, Julia released a stream of lightning. The bolt almost missed the nozzle of the hydrant, barely clipping the edge. Fortunately, it still served its purpose. Both fire hydrants released gushes of pressurized water away from the two teens.

As Julia used two strong breezes to push the water in the right direction, the jets struck Overload squarely in the back, catching him unawares. The electric monster, roaring in surprise and anger, began to rapidly shrink in size. A few seconds later, as the water started to dwindle, all that was left was the red and black chip lying on the wet concrete.

"That's got to be the fastest Overload's ever been taken down," Julia remarked, looking impressed. Despite the fact that she'd missed the fire hydrant, even by a small amount, one monster was down. Now, only two to go.

Robin shook his head.

"Only because we took him by surprise," he pointed out. "We've lost the element of surprise now."

Sure enough, alerted by the explosions (not to mention Overload's deafening roars), Plasmus and Cinderblock had come to a halt, and were turning to find the source of the commotion. Seeing Overload gone, and the two teens in battle-ready positions, the two monsters gave way to guttural bellows...and charged.

As the ground below began to shake from Cinderblock's weight, Robin whipped out his retractable bo. Extending it, the youth got into a fighting stance.

"I'll take Cinderblock," he told Julia shortly, eyes on the rock monsters. "You take Plasmus."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," the Asian teen replied, summoning lightning to her fists. "Let's do this."

Together, the two teens waited as their opponents rushed towards them, roaring as loudly as they could as the earth trembled underneath. Two massive monsters against two short teenagers.

This was bound to be an interesting fight.

* * *

As Plasmus came nearer (more sliding than actual running), Julia centered her attention onto him. She couldn't even spare a second of thought for Robin; she just had to trust that the youth could take care of himself.

And as something distinctly green and bubbling was projected towards her, all thought of the Boy Wonder fled Julia's mind. Doing a neat roll out of the way, the girl dodged the green substance, which seemed to boil on the street. With a quick glance, the Asian teen noted that a few inches of the hard black concrete had been burned away by the goo. Definitely acidic.

Hearing a loud gurgling snarl, Julia looked up just in time to see one of Plasmus's magenta arms shoot towards her, faster than she could've thought possible. Eyes widening, she jumped out of the way, then was forced to make another dive to avoid the other arm. Within seconds, the teen was leaping everywhere to evade the oozing monster's attacks.

Diving behind a crumbling brick wall, Julia raised her hands, trying to summon enough power and wind to create another of her whirling wind platforms. If she could fly, her energy could be put to much better use than jumping around.

Unfortunately, it seemed that she'd reached her limit. Although the girl tried three times to spin air into a twister, the wild breezes instantly ripped free of her power and soared away.

This, Julia supposed, was what happened when she used her inexperienced wind powers in a big fight, and didn't have a good night's sleep. All she had left, it seemed, was her hand-to-hand combat skills (useless in this situation) and lightning.

Plasmus's primal shriek ripped through the air, causing Julia to flinch at how close her opponent was. No less than thirty feet away, she was sure. Still, she could use this to her advantage.

Sprinting out from behind her temporary sanctuary, the Asian girl raised both hands, and fired off a stream of lightning at Plasmus's middle. But instead of throwing him back, or even making him fall to the ground, the electricity went right through the monster, creating a gaping hole.

_He'll turn back into his human form only when unconscious, but you have to use a giant force. Anything less he can recover quickly from._

Watching as Plasmus sucked in a huge breath, pulling his magenta ooze to fill in the hole, Julia mentally berated herself. Well, it seemed Robin had been right, and Julia had underestimated Plasmus's invulnerability. When the Boy Wonder had said 'giant force', he really meant it.

Or perhaps Plasmus could be taken down another way.

Calling to her mind the memory of Raven's weapon during the fight with Silver, Julia summoned lightning to her hand. Lengthening the bolt, the girl created her own jagged whip of electricity, which she held in her right hand. In her left hand, she let more lightning spill into the air, forming a shield that was attached to her left arm.

Not a moment too soon. Plasmus spat a mouthful of green acid at the Asian teen, who hurriedly deflected it with her electric shield. The acid sizzled briefly against the electrons, then slid away as the girl shook it off.

Destroying the shield in her left hand, Julia drew her right hand back, then jerked it forward again. The lightning whip cut through the air, then coiled around Plasmus's left arm. As Julia concentrated, a stream of electricity traveled down her hand, through the whip, and into the monster, shocking him.

Before the Asian girl could send another burst of electricity, Plasmus, roaring in pain, yanked his arm backwards. The lightning whip was heaved back, with a surprised Julia on the other end. A second later, the teen found herself buried in Plasmus's muck. And, to her horror, the monster drew another breath in and sealed his victim inside.

Gasping, Julia choked on a mouthful of the magenta substance. It was the most disgusting thing she'd ever tasted – a mixture of what she thought trash and polluted water tasted like – and the smell was enough to make her eyes water. In a burst of frustration, the girl unleashed a burst of lightning bolts, all of which sprang from her arms and hands.

The result was that the ooze surrounding Julia was blasted away. With nothing to support her, the girl tumbled out of Plasmus and onto the ground, where she was cushioned from the fall by the very substance that she'd briefly inhaled.

Needless to say, Plasmus wasn't happy.

The monster, roaring to voice his fury, filled in the wide hole, then proceeded to deluge Julia with spurt after spurt of his muck. The girl, for her part, surrounded herself with a dome of lightning, which kept her dry – until Plasmus decided to use acid instead. And if that happened, Julia was a sitting duck for any acid shots.

_I don't have time for this,_ Julia thought angrily, unconsciously ducking as another jet of ooze splattered over her shelter. _I want to get this over with, and start looking for Roger's murderer again._

It was time to go from defense to offense a gain. The girl just hoped that this time, she wouldn't be on the receiving end of Plasmus's magenta ooze.

Raising her hands, Julia blasted the lightning shield into the air, extending it in size. Before Plasmus knew what had happened, the sparking dome had surrounded him, the edges sealing onto the ground. With no holes or cracks to escape from, the monster was trapped.

Smiling grimly, Julia summoned as much lightning as she could. Dredging up the last drops, she put all her anger and frustration into it, fueling the power with her emotions.

"Time to finish this," she muttered. Extending her hands, the girl shot a wave of electricity at the flickering dome. As it absorbed the new lightning, the shield turned the energy inwards. Thick lightning bolts stabbed downwards as one, producing harsh thunder and a flash of white light, and forcing Julia to look away. Even a lightning-manipulator had her limits.

Eventually, the light died down, along with any traces of electricity. Without someone to prevent it from dispersing, the lightning had run down into the ground where it belonged. In its wake, it left behind a huge amount of magenta-colored ooze, which coated the concrete.

Wary, Julia took a few steps closer to get a better look. It was just her luck to be taken by surprise, or forced to fight when her powers were nearly drained. However, the muck eventually thinned, revealing the thin form of a scrawny man wearing black underwear – Plasmus's human form. She'd won.

Staring down at the previously congealed criminal, Julia noticed that adrenaline was coursing through her, thrumming through her veins by her rapidly beating heart. Endorphins were flooding through her, along with a deep sense of satisfaction. Was this how it felt to do good and 'kick bad guy butt'?

Shaking off the thought, the Asian teen bit back a smile of triumph and turned to see how Robin had fared-

-to see that the Boy Wonder was casually leaning on Cinderblock's unconscious form, calmly watching what was happening. He'd already beaten Cinderblock, and had time to observe Julia's fight. In a sense, Julia wasn't surprised. If the youth could competently fight Red X and Athene, of course a rock monster wouldn't pose a threat for more than fifteen minutes.

"So." Julia strode over to Robin, who straightened from his position. "How'd I do?"

The Boy Wonder raised one eyebrow, glancing at the unconscious human-form Plasmus.

"Not too bad," he replied, pretending to give the question some thought. "Took you long enough."

"Well, we can't all be _superheroes_," Julia remarked, shrugging. It had just occurred to her that the police would be coming any minute now. They usually did, to take in the criminals the Titans had defeated.

The Titans. Robin had, even if temporarily, made the girl a Teen Titan. Did he even know the repercussions of that single action alone?

"Aren't you?"

Half-taken off guard, Julia raised her eyebrows.

"Aren't I what?"

Robin, for his part, looked patiently thoughtful.

"Aren't you a superhero?" At the Asian girl's incredulous look, the Boy Wonder gestured towards Plasmus. "You used your powers to take down a criminal that was wrecking the city. You did something good for others. That might not be the only things that make a superhero, but it's a start."

For some reason, the thought of being a superhero struck Julia as extremely amusing – much to Robin's puzzlement.

"I'm not a superhero," the girl said emphatically, striding quickly back to the R-Cycle. The sounds of sirens were fast approaching in the distance. As the two teens mounted the motorcycle, three police cars and two different police trucks skidded to a halt in front of Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload.

Still, as Robin was pulling on his helmet, Julia's firm response nagged at him.

"Why-"

Julia slipped on her own helmet and switched on the communicator system.

"Let's just go."

But even as the two of them zoomed away from the scene, leaving three beaten monsters, the unspoken question still lingered in Robin's mind.


	36. Guilty Until Proven Innocent

**A/N:** So I haven't updated for a few days because I've been working on the newer chapters. Especially this one fight scene, which I've carefully outlined and written the steps to. Yeah, I know, I'm a freak that way. It's like a fight choreographer or something. But I just find it really interesting to plan out a fight and make it as creative and exciting as possible.

* * *

"Robin."

It was with a sense of déjà vu that Julia entered the Operations Room to see Robin sitting in a chair in front of the computer console. This time, however, the Boy Wonder was backed up slightly, watching the wide screen monitor, which was showing the recent news.

The team leader, engrossed in a report on a fire on Fifth Street, didn't respond to Julia as she descended the stairs and strode over to stand behind the couches. Tilting her head back, the girl listened to the female newsanchor's account.

"-was dealt with by the city firefighters. There were no fatalities, and only minor injuries. However, many witnesses and firefighters alike wondered - where were the Teen Titans?"

"Robin?"

This time, the boy swiveled around in his chair to look at Julia, who saw that he was frowning, his eyebrows knitted together in frustration.

"What?"

Forcing herself to look calmly disinterested, Julia settled her hands on the back of the couch.

"I'm going to be spending the afternoon meditating and relaxing," she told the youth. "You know, since my powers are mostly drained. So unless it's a life or death matter, I'd like to be left alone."

For a moment, Robin considered the Asian girl. Julia had never before asked to be left alone while she practiced her powers or meditated. So why now?

"-seems Jump City's own Boy Wonder has found a new interest."

Instantly distracted, Robin and Julia shifted their attention back to the TV screen, which was showing a clip of the two of them speeding down Main Street on the R-Cycle.

"Witnesses around the city report seeing Robin, the team leader of the Teen Titans, riding on his famous R-Cycle with an unidentified girl with black hair." A close-up shot of Julia, helmeted head lowered and hands on Robin's waist.

"No one seems to know who this mysterious girl is, except that she has a connection to our own Boy Wonder. The question is: what kind of connection? And if it's more than friendship, what will the super-powered alien Starfire say about this?"

With a click, the screen blacked out as Robin calmly shut the TV off. Julia, on the other hand, was horrified. Not only was her picture posted all over the city for everyone to see, but it was also implied that she had some kind of relationship with Robin.

_This is so mortifying,_ was Julia's first thought. Her second was, _Oh my god. How will Damien react to this?_

Robin, for his part, didn't seem too fazed. He merely scooted closer to the computer console and started typing into it again, muttering something that vaguely sounded like 'Star'. The youth didn't acknowledge Julia, who, when the shock wore off her, left the Operations Room silently.

* * *

The dark building on 712 Evergreen Street loomed over the girl as she made her way quickly and quietly towards it. Even in broad daylight, it looked just as ominous as it had before. Remembering the events that had taken place inside it, the teen repressed a shudder and continued to walk up to the front door, trying to build her own confidence.

"Well, I've made it this far."

But before she could make it to the front step, a red metal weapon, glinting in the afternoon sunlight, sliced through the air. It landed inches from her foot, forcing her to take a step back to avoid her toes from being chopped off.

"And you're not going any father."

Jump City's finest landed in front of the girl, then straightened, his black cape settling around his shoulder like a cloak.

"Robin." The girl's voice was low and calm, seemingly unsurprised by the youth's sudden appearance.

"Athene." The boy's voice was similarly low, but it held barely restrained fury. "You were part of all of this. You helped kidnap the Titans."

At this, the thief took another step back, her hands held up in front of herself defensively. The superhero took a step forward to close the gap as his opponent inched backwards.

"Whoa. Slow down there, Boy Blunder. I had _nothing_ to do with the Titans being captured. At all."

Robin didn't look convinced. He continued to move forward, eyes narrowed, as the girl walked backwards into the street.

"Then why are you here?" the youth demanded, voice harsh. "Why come to this place if you had nothing to do with the Titans' abduction?"

Athene's only response was silence. "That's what I thought," Robin remarked, whipping out two birdarangs and pushing the folds of his cape behind his back. With a yell, the Boy Wonder dived at his adversary.

To his dismay, she didn't seem to fight back. The thief girl merely sidestepped his tackle, leaving him to roll on the ground, then spring back up, ready. Athene made no motion to counterattack as Robin sheathed his birdarangs, then threw a flurry of punches at her. Instead, the girl ducked and dodged the blows, using her metal arm guards to defend herself. The whole time, she kept her face carefully calm.

Frustrated – he wanted a real fight, not this kind of useless hitting-and-blocking – Robin did a few back flips, then hurled two explosive discs at his opponent. To his disappointment (and anger) the girl did cartwheels to dodge them.

By the time the smoke cleared, the two adversaries were still crouched in fighting positions. Robin's eyes were narrowed as he assessed the situation, his brain flying through explanations as to why Athene wasn't fighting back. She was merely fighting to defend herself.

Was she up to something? Did she have a hidden motive?

_Or maybe_, the youth mused, _she just doesn't want to fight me._

That seemed preposterous. Why wouldn't she? They were enemies – superheroes and thieves were meant to fight against each other. Weren't they?

Another thought flitted through his mind.

_She doesn't want to hurt you_.

That was just as absurd as the previous thought. Athene shouldn't have cared about whether she was hurting him or not. She was a criminal – they weren't known for being caring towards superheroes. They were selfish, egotistic, sometimes sadistic...

_Athene isn't like the others._

Remembering the kiss from the night before, Robin flushed, then shook the thoughts from his head. It didn't matter why Athene was on the defensive only. All that mattered was that she had a hand in his friends' disappearances, and she must have had some kind of information, some kind of clue, about their whereabouts.

These thoughts took a space of a second.

"I'm not here to fight you, Robin," Athene called over to him. She held her hands up, palms forward, as a sign of peace. Robin scowled, theories of a trap flying through his mind. Was she here to capture him? To bring him to the other kidnapped Titans?

Fury – the kind that he hadn't felt for some time – roared inside him as his imagination conjured up possible places where his friends could be hidden, and what was happening to them. If they were hurt – if _Starfire_ was hurt...

The Boy Wonder flung his two birdarangs at Athene, so that the curved weapons arced inwards, crossing each other mid-flight. As the thief swiftly lowered herself to the ground to avoid the razor-sharp blades, Robin sprang towards her and tackled his opponent before she could avoid him.

The youth pinned Athene to the ground, one knee on her stomach, one foot on her left wrist. Robin's left hand was clamped down on the thief's right wrist, and his right hand held another birdarang at the girl's throat.

"What did you do with them?" His voice was roughly edged with rage, a sound that would send even the hardiest of criminals cringing. Athene was flinching away from him, trying not to move her neck.

"_Nothing._"

Robin made an angry noise that could almost be described as a growl.

"Liar."

As the thief twisted her wrists, trying to break free, the superhero pressed down harder, his eyes never leaving her grimacing face.

"If you had nothing to do with the kidnappings, you wouldn't be here," the Boy Wonder snapped. Despite the fury ground into his voice, his hand on his birdarang was still and sure. "_Explain_."

"I'm not here because I'm in league with...whatever went on here," Athene retorted, her voice faltering for a moment. "I'm investigating."

Robin's eyes narrowed even more, if that were possible. At the same time, unconsciously, his hold on the girl tightened.

"_Investigating what?_"

Suddenly, something small and light hit the Boy Wonder's back, where it latched on securely. Before the youth could react, the thin device sent a paralyzing shock through his body. Gritting his teeth and trying not to yell, Robin rolled off of Athene, eyes shut against the pain. Call him paranoid, but his mind went immediately to one name.

Red X.

* * *

**A/N: **Some RobinxStarfire hints there, for all your Rob/Star shippers. I'm one, myself. But I downplayed it in this story, since Julia is the main focus of the story. Maybe in another story, I'll do a Rob/Star one-shot. I've already got an idea for one, but I'm busy writing this story.


	37. Red X vs Robin

**A/N:** So. This is the fight scene I wrote about earlier. You know, the one I had to choreograph, because I'm weird and everything. Well, here it is.

* * *

"Told you I'd find you first."

Groaning, Robin lifted his head and was greeted by the sight of a certain caped thief jumping down lightly from the nearest rooftop. Red X. Struggling to his feet, the Boy Wonder cast a quick glance around, to find that the street was empty.

"Where's Athene?" the youth demanded, hands clenched. Red X shrugged nonchalantly, twirling a single metal x around one finger.

"Got away, obviously," the thief replied smugly. "Even _you're_ smart enough to see that."

As Robin charged towards him, Red X swiftly turned on his heel and sprinted away from the superhero, his torn cape fluttering behind him. Leaping over totaled parked cars and dodging around broken lampposts, the thief led the Boy Wonder on a lively chase through the streets, going deeper and deeper into the worst part of the city.

Ten minutes later, Robin skidded to a halt in a dimly-lit alleyway. He'd followed his adversary to this very spot, until the thief had simply vanished into thin air, as was his habit. But why would he end the chase here? And where was he?

The answer was immediately apparent as Red X materialized above the superhero, leaping midair with his foot aimed straight at the Boy Wonder's chest. Eyes widening at the sudden appearance, Robin dove to the side.

Rolling, the youth sprang to his feet and did a high kick at the thief, who blocked it with his own kick, their feet clashing in mid-air. The superhero, eyes narrowed, threw a volley of punches at his opponent, who blocked them all, both of their fists a blur. As Robin made another kick aimed at the thief's face, Red X did a few back flips back. Agilely, he landed with his back to one of the alley brick walls, opposite of the one behind his adversary.

For a moment, the two of them paused to catch their breath. They were evenly matched in endurance, but none wanted to admit defeat first.

"Where's Athene?" Robin repeated with restrained patience. In response, Red X gave a low chuckle.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

In the same instant, the two youths rushed towards each other, determined not to be the one to move first. The result was that they simultaneously dodged each other, and tore past the other. With their remaining momentum, they both made a jump at each of the walls in front of them, then bounded off to dive at each other. To avoid a collision, Robin made a neat roll on the ground as Red X leaped over him, doing his own quick roll. Both sprang to their feet and turned to face each other at the same time.

Crouching in a fighting position, the thief held up the back of his fist, elongating the red x mark into a lethal four-bladed knife that gleamed in the scarce lighting. For his own part, Robin drew out two of his knifelike red birdarangs, gripping the ends.

The two fighters circled each other warily, tense and alert.

"So..." Red X raised one eyebrow as he paced counterclockwise. "This is - what? - the fifth time Athene's escaped from you?"

Gritting his teeth, Robin scowled.

"Fourth," he snapped, moving slowly.

The thief shrugged with one shoulder in reply.

"But it's not like anyone's counting, right?" he remarked, a hint of smugness in his mechanized voice. Bounding forward, the criminal made a swipe at his opponent, forcing Robin to duck to avoid being clipped by the blades.

In retaliation, the Boy Wonder slashed at Red X's torso, birdarang producing a slight whistling noise as it cut through the air. The thief blocked the swipe with his left hand, then was thrown back as Robin used his foot to kick him back in the chest.

Hitting the brick wall behind him, Red X staggered for a moment, then straightened, regarding his opponent shrewdly.

"It's obvious you're not really trying to catch her, kid," the thief commented, letting the sharp x blades withdraw back into place. At this remark, Robin made a spluttering sound of indignation.

"Of course I'm-!"

"You're not actually trying to arrest her, or find out who she is," Red X continued smoothly, flexing his fingers, then curling them into fists. "You're just interested in fighting her, for the thrill and sheer fun of it. You-"

The thief's accusations were abruptly interrupted as Robin hurled a handful of exploding discs at him. Unperturbed, Red X simply threw his own sharp x's, which collided with the superhero's weapons in midair and exploded.

"Kid, you're in denial." The thief watched the Boy Wonder's reaction carefully as he went on. "You're playing with fire, and you're going to get burned."

With a strangled yell, Robin lunged forward, birdarangs in hand. Red X promptly stepped aside, then kicked him in the back, causing the superhero to stumble forward. Once he caught his balance again, the youth turned around furiously. The thief was shaking his head pityingly.

"Face it, kid. You've fallen hard for a thief."

More quickly than Robin expected, Red X dove towards the superhero, forcing the leader to bend far backwards to avoid being tackled. As the thief leaped over him, rolled, then sprang back up, the Boy Wonder completed the back flip. Straightening, Robin turned around just in time to see Red X vanish into thin air.

* * *

Entering his workroom, Robin strode over to the desk and switched on the light. Jaw clenched, he stared down at the many article clippings, objects, and evidence that littered the surface of the desk. Worthless.

As much as the Boy Wonder hated to admit it, even to himself, Red X had been right. About everything. How he virtually knew nothing about Athene, and how he never truly attempted to stop her. His leniency towards her.

Groaning in frustration, the youth slammed a fist onto the desk, sending papers flying. He stood there for a long moment, staring downwards, until he realized what he was looking at. A folded piece of paper, one corner bent out to reveal neat handwriting. Aqualad's handwriting.

Grabbing the note, Robin hastily opened it, and was rewarded with a letter written in neat, but cramped, writing. Obviously, Aqualad had been in a rush to write the note.

What had the Atlantean said when he'd given it to Robin? Not to read it until he was alone? Robin had meant to read it weeks ago, but he'd been distracted somehow.

Seized with a strange feeling of anxiousness, the Boy Wonder read the letter.

_Robin,_

_I've put together some information that you should know. It deals with Athene and Julia. I know it sounds strange, but hear me out. This is important. I didn't want to tell you in front of the others, in case my suspicions are wrong._

_You might've noticed, but Julia and Athene look similar. The black hair, build, eyes. I've questioned Julia about this, but she provided a good point – it's very easy to construct fake physical features. I didn't press her any further, since accusing her of being a thief was serious. But I also noticed, the first day we discovered Athene, that their voices are similar._

_I know this sounds crazy. Julia and Athene seem to have different personalities. Athene is on the bold and reckless side, while Julia is more reserved (though this can change when she's more comfortable with who she's with). But can't people change when they put on a mask? You of all people will know this._

_There's something else. The day we tracked Red X and rescued Julia, I found a vial next to her. I sent it (and a few other things) into a lab to be analyzed, but the results haven't come back yet. By the time you read this note, it will probably be done. You can find the results on my Titans Tower computer account – I organized it to be sent there._

_Please check the results. It can either prove Julia innocent, or guilty. If she's innocent, don't tell her about this. I feel guilty enough doing this. If she's guilty...I hope not. But if she is, do the right thing. Don't do anything rash. I'm sure Julia has an explanation. Let her explain it._

_Good luck._

_Aqualad_

For a long moment, Robin stared at the letter. Julia, really Athene? Athene, turning out to be Julia? It was crazy. But somehow, it made sense. The idea didn't feel like a new one, but more like something that the youth had thought of before, but forgotten.

Tearing his eyes from the piece of paper, Robin quickly turned on his computer, and got onto Aqualad's computer account as he'd instructed. Skimming through newly received files, he found what he was looking for – a document labeled "Test Lab Results".

Taking a deep breath, Robin opened the file.

* * *

**A/N:** Cliffie, I know.


	38. The Truth Revealed

**A/N:** Ok. So I'm grounded, starting tomorrow, and one of the 'privileges' that are being taken away from me is the computer. Which means, basically, that I won't be able to post my story for...oh, until September. I think. I'll definitely be writing my story on paper, since I can't use the computer. But this means that this is the last chapter for a couple of weeks. I'm so incredibly sorry. I just hope that this chapter, although a major cliffie, will leave a good note. Enjoy, and I'll be back. Eventually.

* * *

"Wind, lightning, air. Wind, lightning, air."

Eyes closed, Julia sat cross-legged on the Tower roof, a foot of space between her and the edge. Palms down and resting on her knees, she inhaled and exhaled rhythmically as she softly chanted.

"Wind, lightning, air."

There were light, almost silent footsteps.

Eyes still closed, the girl recognized them as Robin's, and kept meditating. He would speak to her when he wanted to, and no sooner. No sense in rushing him. Even as the Boy Wonder knelt behind her, Julia continued breathing steadily.

The cold steel of a blade suddenly appeared at the girl's throat, razor-sharp edge close to the bare skin of her neck. A strong hand seized her upper arm in a vice-like grip.

Opening her eyes, Julia stared at the setting sun, which was sinking below the horizon. She knew, without looking, that Robin's lethal birdarang was only centimeters away from slicing open her jugular. And she knew, without asking, what Robin was there for.

"How long?"

The boy's voice was low and fierce in her ear, his restrained anger barely concealed. Still watching the horizon, Julia tried to swallow without being cut.

"Sorry?" she replied, her voice calm and light.

Again without looking, the girl knew that Robin's grip on his birdarang tightened. She could feel it in the tautness of his body, humming from the tension of his fury.

"How long have you done this? Betrayed the Titans?"

For a moment, Julia contemplated her answer. Should she keep feigning ignorance? But it was no use – pretending would only make Robin think that she was mocking him. But at the same time, she wanted him to see the truth, and not only what he saw.

"Answer me!"

Robin, of course, was impatient. It was best not to incense him further. Taking as deep a breath as she could under the circumstances, Julia answered him quietly.

"I never betrayed the Titans."

That got a scoff of derision from the leader.

"Then what are these about?"

The clutch on her arm disappeared, as Robin threw a few papers in front of the girl.

They were some kind of lab results printed from a computer. The top one was marked "Jump City Laboratory: Test Lab Results. Recipient: Aqualad."

For a second, Julia's heart seemed to shudder to a stop as her breath caught in her throat. Everything around her melted into a blur, except for the papers, which were stark clear.

Aqualad? Aqualad had lab results secretly done, about her?

With one shaking hand, Julia pushed aside the top page and smoothed out the rest. The second page was a detailed report on several samples, including two lip prints – one taken from Aqualad's forehead, as a dark lipstick mark, and the other as a fainter imprint from the edge of a slim glass vial. The other samples were two fingerprints, one from what once was a glass of milk, and one from the previous glass vial. They were all confirmed as identical samples.

The third page was a set of DNA results from two samples: a lock of straight black hair – labeled as "A" - and a lock of slightly wavy black hair – labeled as "J". At the bottom of the paper was the final answer: "Positive DNA Match."

The rest of the pages were pictures. The first ones were dark and slightly blurry, barely catching the fleeting dark-clothed figure that seemed to fly from the frame. The rest of the images were sharper, random shots of a brightly-costumed girl: walking on the beach, reading a book while sitting on a couch, plunging a fist into a punching bag, hurling a bolt of lightning at a target.

And at the bottom of the paper, even though it was unnecessary: "Positive Identification Match."

* * *

Julia's body seemed to have frozen, even as her mind raced. How? How had Aqualad collected all the data without her knowing? When had he done this? Why? And now – what would happen?

"You're a traitor."

Robin's voice seemed to jolt her back to her senses. The raw anger grated in her ears and felt like a solid punch to her chest.

Swallowing again, Julia refused for her voice to waver. She was not about to ask for forgiveness, or plead for mercy. She wasn't going to make feeble excuses, or cry for pity. Neither Athene, nor Julia, would act like that.

"I'm not a traitor, Robin. I never betrayed any of you or took advantage of anyone."

That scoff of derision again.

"I'm telling the truth, Robin. I didn't come to the Teen Titans to betray you, sell your secrets, or bring you down."

"Then why?"

At the moment, her own reason seemed unbelievable.

"To learn." Before the youth could interrupt, Julia pressed on. "I wanted – _needed_ – to learn to control my powers. Who else would be better than the Teen Titans, the super-powered team, themselves?"

There was a minute of silence as Robin turned this over in his mind, no doubt trying to find a new angle to attack from. When he spoke again, his voice was more controlled.

"How did you act as two different people at the same time?"

Of course he was only curious. It was his job, after all, to know how things happened. She couldn't deny him that. Not after he thought that she had betrayed the very things he held dear to his life.

"Everything was carefully planned. I had to change into Athene's costume and fly out my window-" using a stolen hovercraft and taking advantage of the cameras' blindspots, which she didn't mention "-then escape early and dash back to my room to change and do some detailed fixing."

"And before, when you were kidnapped?"

"I went out as Athene for the first time. After I decided that I needed your help with my powers, I staged a rescue so that the team could find me with the tracker that I knew you'd plant." She purposely didn't mention a certain someone, hoping that Robin wouldn't remember.

"How do you know Red X?"

Ah. He did remember. The anger was back in his voice again, although carefully kept in check. Julia allowed herself an inward smile. Robin, it seemed, was good at keeping _every_ emotion contained.

"We're both thieves." It was the truth.

"He knows your secret identity. Do you know his?"

"I wish."

A lie, but Julia wasn't about to tell him the truth on this one. It was lucky that Robin could not read her mind. She had to use her skills to cover up some of the basic signs of a lie – the blinking, the sideways look, the rise of the heartbeat. Luckily, Robin wasn't facing her directly.

Behind her, Robin was moving. He slowly got to his feet, the birdarang at Julia's throat forcing her to get up as he did. It was the end of the conversation. No doubt the Boy Wonder had more questions to ask, but he could contain them for the moment. At present, he had other worries.

"Julia Chang, I place you under arrest."

Julia bit back a smile. Even as Robin was boiling with anger at what he saw as the betrayal of the century, he couldn't forgo his formal speeches. And strangely enough, Julia wasn't nervous. She had nothing to lose that she hadn't already lost.

"The thing is, Robin..." the girl lowered her voice, so that the youth had to lean in closer to hear her, as she'd wanted. "I'm not getting arrested."

A thin bolt of lightning jumped from Julia's throat to the red birdarang, traveling through the metal and shocking Robin, who dropped his weapon with a curse. With one swift movement, Julia drove her opponent's head back with a backward elbow thrust, and knocked the air from him with a jab from her other elbow. They were the same moves that had been specifically taught to her by the Boy Wonder himself.

Taken by surprise and completely winded, Robin stumbled backwards, his hand stinging painfully as his jaw ached from the sudden attack. As Julia turned around and took a step away from him, the youth fumbled to pull out two new birdarangs.

"I'm not getting arrested, Robin." The girl took another step back without looking over her shoulder as her adversary labored to breathe once again. "And especially not by you."

Another step back, and Julia was suddenly falling backwards off the roof. Her violet eyes met Robin's as she plunged down into only thin air.

* * *

"Julia!"

Dashing to the edge of the roof, Robin watched in dismay as the girl plummeted through the air, towards the ground. He didn't think that even she had the power to halt her own fall – not from that height, with gravity working so hard against her.

And if she couldn't stop herself from hitting the hard, unforgiving ground...

Without even a split second of thought, the Boy Wonder dove from the roof, the birdarangs in his hands replaced by two grappling hooks. Without even looking, he shot the first one, in his left hand, upwards. It would puncture through one of the windows and grab onto the ledge securely, tightening and stopping his fall.

Streamlining his body to speed his descent, Robin angled himself towards Julia, who was falling ahead of him, her dark hair whipping around from the rush of the wind. Either she thought she knew what she was doing, and could cushion her fall somehow with her powers, or-

Even as the Boy Wonder aimed his second grappling hook at Julia, something dark flying on a thin line swept through the air and caught Julia around the middle. Torn cape fluttering, it swung them both back down to the ground, landing safely.

_No. No. NO!_

The grappling line went taught, forcing Robin to come to a halt in midair. Hanging there from one hand, the Boy Wonder could only watch in horror as Red X and Julia zoomed across the bay on a speedboat, and back towards the city.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm still welcoming reviews, by the way, even if I can't read them immediately. But when I'm able to get back on the computer, I'm sure reading any reviews will motivate me to finish the story quickly.


	39. The Second Ride

**A/N:** Ok, so I'm back. Kinda. I'm supposed to be grounded (again) until the rest of this month, but I might be sneaking in a chapter or two if I can.

* * *

Julia remained silent, even as she and Red X rode through the city on what Damien had mockingly nicknamed the 'X-Cycle'. Sleek and black, the motorcycle matched the glossy black helmet that the girl wore over her hair, reminding her that this was the second time in one day that she'd ridden on a motorcycle. Vaguely, she wondered if the people who saw her would connect her to the same girl who'd made the news that morning.

All of these detached thoughts were partly formed in order for her to avoid what really mattered – that Robin had discovered that she and Athene were one and the same, and that the Boy Wonder had pronounced her a traitor to the Titans. At that moment, the girl didn't want to think about it; if she did, she was afraid that she'd feel the same ache in her chest as she had at Robin's first harsh accusation.

Wrapped up in her disheartening thoughts, it took ten minutes of traveling through the city before Julia noticed that the roads they took were not so familiar. The route was not the one she and Damien usually took to the apartment, or even the place where Damien kept his Red X equipment.

The roads they were traveling on were far from the busiest part of the city, becoming more and more rundown and dilapidated as they rode on. It also meant that there were less people visible on the streets and in the buildings, and less noises. The setting, added with the growing darkness, resulted in a discouraging atmosphere.

Unlocking her arms from Red X's waist to tap him on the shoulder, Julia spoke into the helmet's microphone.

"Um, where're we going?"

It was the first time they had spoken to each other. During the speedboat and motorcycle ride so far, they'd remained silent, as if doing so would make their escape quicker. Julia wasn't sure if Damien was just being professional, or if he truly didn't want to talk to her. But then again, they hadn't seen each other for quite awhile.

Never taking his eyes from the road in front, Red X shook his head fractionally.

"Not now," he replied, his mechanical voice carrying over through the combined helmet and mask's communicating system.

Feeling rebuffed by the youth's curt reply, Julia returned to her original position, locking her arms around Red X's waist. Again, she was seized by the sudden realization that it wasn't an uncomfortable or strange position. And this time, the girl was protected from the cool night breeze as an odd warmth spread from Red X to her.

A few silent minutes later, Julia found herself in the outskirts of Jump City. Here, the city became a dry brown flatland, with one lone highway occasionally dotted with a lamppost. A few miles later, the road plunged into the border of a dense forest. Glancing around as the buildings transitioned into dusty barrenness, Julia realized that this was the first time leaving the city since her arrival years ago. And like last time, she had no idea what to expect.

When they'd ridden a quarter of a mile down the empty highway, Red X finally spoke. Turning his head, he nudged Julia gently with his elbow.

"Look around," he told her curtly. "Especially the sky. Tell me if anything's following us."

Feeling puzzled, Julia let go of Red X with one arm to swivel around in her seat, scanning the surrounding area. The highway and flatland, dimly lit by lampposts that were just flickering on, were completely bare. Taking Red X's suggestion, the girl gazed upwards. In the almost black night sky, it was hard to make out any shapes. But there was something.

"There's a bird," Julia report, squinting at it. "Or something that looks like a bird. It's flying at about the same rate as us, a little far back. It's positioned towards the same direction."

Narrowing his eyes, Red X muttered something that sounded like a swear word.

"All right," he replied tersely. "Use any of the tech in my belt and bring it down."

Julia raised her eyebrows.

"Bring it-"

"-down, yeah. And the sooner, the better."

Frowning, but biting back her question, Julia fumbled for Red X's utility belt. Each of the gray metal compartments was sized almost exactly alike, except for the red x mark set in a circle. Extracting a thin, sharp-edged x set with a small round knob in the center, Julia held it tightly but carefully with three fingers. Turning halfway in her seat, she judged the speed that the X-Cycle was traveling, along with the height and speed of the bird-like shape. The wind was another factor to take in – although the girl had meditated and rested throughout the day, she was still drained of her power and couldn't stop the gusts from blowing.

As Damien murmured, almost inaudibly, "Do me proud," Julia flung the x blade with all her strength. The slender weapon seemed to slash through the air as it climbed upwards, spinning in a red circular blur.

A few seconds later, it reached its target. Julia, straining her eyes, heard a faint noise of metal slicing through metal, then saw a brief flare of light as the device released an electrical pulse. There was a distressed shriek, a jarring sound between a bird screech and a human scream, followed by the sight of the dark shape dropping through the air, wings dragging uselessly.

A moment later, Julia, twisted around on the seat, saw the bird-like thing crash to the ground, far behind them. Breathing a sigh of relief, the girl glanced around once more, then turned back towards the front and wrapped her arms once again around Red X's waist.

"What was that thing?" she asked him quietly, resting her helmeted head on the youth's back. "And why was it following us?"

Red X simply shook his head.

"You might be able to find out what it was sooner than I can," he replied. "As for why it was following us – I'll explain later. Right now, just brace yourself and don't scream."

Indignant, Julia straightened.

"Why would I-"

The answer to her unfinished question came a second later as Red X abruptly veered off the side of the highway, pulling the X-cycle upwards into a jump towards the hard dirt on the side of the road. But instead of landing solidly on the ground, the motorcycle, and its occupants, plunged through the large hole that had suddenly appeared as two camouflaged doors on the ground slid back.

It was all Julia could do not to scream as she held onto Red X tightly as they plummeted down into darkness.

* * *

Air rushed by Julia, snatching the sharp gasp that escaped from her lips. The two sliding doors above had closed shut with a snap, cutting off any trace of light that could illuminate her surroundings. Distantly, the girl heard faint duo clicks, followed by a roar that drowned out the sound of whistling air.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it ended.

Julia caught her breath as the X-Cycle shuddered to a stop, its two footrests shooting pressurized red jets of air downwards to halt the motorcycle a foot from the ground. The jets slowly decreased, lowering its two occupants to ground level once more before petering out.

Silence and darkness swallowed the two teens again before the X-Cycle's crimson headlights lit the area in front, shining on what looked like a perfectly circular tunnel of hard-packed dirt. Eight feet high and wide, with walls smooth and compact, it stretched on for yards before curving sharply to the right.

Once Julia got over her initial shock, she took in a deep breath to calm herself. As soon as she'd opened her mouth to speak, however, Red X revved the X-Cycle's engine. With a roar, the motorcycle leapt forwards, jolting the words from Julia's mouth. It sped forward, climbing quickly in speed, then veered to the right, closely following the curve when Red X turned the handlebars.

Hurtling down the dark tunnel with only the red headlights of the X-Cycle to guide them produced a mixture of fear and exhilaration from Julia. Red X drove them around each twist and turn without slowing down or stopping, somehow never crashing or even touching a dirt wall. All Julia could do was hold on and try not to move. She couldn't rule out the possibility that a foot or elbow sticking out wouldn't get clipped around a turn.

Eventually, as they twisted and turned through the tunnels, Julia felt herself tiring. The day's events and excitement were finally catching up to her, wearying her out physically, emotionally, and mentally. Not only was she was drained of power, but also strength. In one day, she'd battled Plasmus, fought Robin, escaped from Titans Tower, and was now heading to someplace unknown to her. In all, an exhausting day.

As Julia began to sag against Red X, resting her helmeted head against his back, a part of her noted that she should stay awake so she could demand what was going on. That part, however, faded away as the girl's eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep.

Julia slept so deeply that she didn't even notice when the X-Cycle slowed down, or when Red X turned it into a roughly made side tunnel that ended with a small cleared space and a steel ladder, set under another set of sliding doors. Even when Red X stopped by the ladder and dismounted, the girl didn't stir. The only time she did shift slightly was when the youth took off her helmet and slung her over his shoulder. The last thing she remembered, dimly in her memory, was being carried up the ladder. To where, she didn't know. But at that moment, she didn't care.

* * *

**A/N:** Reviews definitely appreciated.


	40. Some Answers

**A/N:** Here's the second chapter I wrote. Hopefully, I'll be posting again soon. Read and review!

* * *

Julia filtered back into consciousness slowly and sluggishly, her brain barely keeping up with her senses as they picked up small facts. For one thing, she was lying down, face-up, on something soft and lumpy. She couldn't feel the brush of wind, or the warmth of sunlight, which meant that she was indoors – somewhere.

Then, at the sound of a familiar someone clearing his throat, the girl's eyes flew open. Wherever Damien had taken her, it had to be safe. He was one of the last people she knew who would bring her somewhere that he even suspected was dangerous. For someone who lived life on the edge, he was extremely careful at times.

Sitting up slowly – her body was physically stiff, though her power was almost replenished – Julia looked around. She was sitting on a beaten-looking couch, which was positioned in the middle of a thoroughly scuffed wooden floor. The room she was in was small and painted white, with one door and one window placed on opposite walls. The furniture was simple, and cheap – the single couch along with a small table and two chairs shoved against the wall and under the window.

Damien was sitting at the table, a steaming carafe in one hand, a few slips of paper in the other. He was reading intently, his eyes roving swiftly across a page as he lifted his drink to his lips once in awhile to take a long sip. He still wore his Red X costume, although his mask was off and lying on the table next to him, within reach. Also close by was a common black duffel bag, placed on the ground next to his chair.

When the youth heard Julia move, however, he looked up at her. Seeing his face fully for the first time in months, Julia noticed that dark shadows underlined his eyes, which were tired-looking. But when the boy smiled, his eyes lit up, the familiar mischievous spark reappearing.

"Julia."

Setting down the papers and the carafe, Damien stood up. He took some hesitant steps towards Julia, as if unsure as to her reaction, then saw her expression. Something in it must've changed his mind, because the next moment, he'd taken a few strides to the couch and was hugging her fiercely.

Kneeling on the couch with her arms wrapped around the youth's neck, Julia buried her face into the front of his costume with a sigh. A kind of relief washed over her, and she realized that, until that moment, a small part of her had been tense. Whenever she was with the Titans, she'd subconsciously been on edge and on guard for any kind of trouble. But as she breathed in Damien's familiar scent, she knew that when she was finally back with him, she could relax.

It wasn't until a few seconds later did the girl realize that Damien was slowly stroking was hair with one hand. Well, that was one thing that hadn't changed. And strangely enough, Julia didn't mind it anymore. If anything, it was a little endearing.

Pulling back, she put her hands on Damien's shoulders as she looked at him. Aside from the weariness, he didn't seem different. That same smile he always gave her was still there, at least.

Damien caught her inspecting him, and grinned.

"Looking for gray hairs?" he asked, startling a laugh from her.

"No, not exactly-" Julia began to say, when the youth scooped her up in his arms and lifted her from her kneeling position. Swinging her over the back of the couch, Damien gently set her back on her feet.

"Well, good," he remarked, taking a step back in case the girl decided that she needed to teach him a lesson after the small stunt. "I'd hate for all these months of excitement to come out in _that_ way."

Julia ignored her involuntary descent, and chose instead to sit down at the table. A soft morning light shone through the dusty windows, and a glance out the window showed a squalid backyard filled with crabgrass. A question on her lips, she stopped as something occurred to her.

"Wait-" she frowned as Damien sat across from her. "'Months of excitement'? What do you mean? What happened?"

Damien slid the carafe towards her, his eyes suddenly guarded.

"Have some of this. You need it." When Julia continued to frown at him, he added, "I'll tell you if you drink some, all right?"

Bringing the drink to her lips and taking a sip, Julia tasted a strong black tea that almost made her gag. After months of having sweetened coffee with the Titans, the tea was jarringly sharp in comparison. Swallowing, the girl took another sip to satisfy Damien, then put the carafe down.

"_So what happened?_"

Now that she'd had a few sips, Damien was looking away from her, his hazel eyes still cautious. He knew as well as she did that anything but the truth would definitely not go well with her. Sugarcoating anything didn't work, either. But it was clear that he didn't want to share the plain truth.

Finally, rubbing the bridge of his sharp nose, Damien spoke.

"I was attacked, the night after Roger's...death." Before Julia could speak, the youth shook his head to stop her. "It was a guy with some kind of power with ice-" the disgust was clearly evident in his tone "-and probably the same guy who'd killed Roger." He looked up to see Julia staring at him.

"He broke – more like smashed – his way into the apartment. Apparently, he was looking for you."

A wave of emotions surged through Julia, making her uncharacteristically breathless for a second. Then she found her voice again.

"How do you know?" she demanded, her voice sharper than she'd intended. Damien didn't seem to mind.

"I asked him," he replied simply. Julia knew that he was skipping over what were probably minutes of fighting. "He just demanded to know where you were. When I didn't tell him, he got...understandably upset." A wry smile twisted Damien's mouth, and Julia suddenly noticed a slight bulge under the costume on his upper right arm, as if a bandage was wrapped around it.

"He wants me," the girl repeated flatly, her voice low. "He went after you to find me."

Inside, pieces were fitting together in her mind. This Ice Guy, whoever he was, was looking for her. Looking back into her memory, Julia realized, with a lurch of her stomach, that she'd absently seen him in different places – on the road outside the apartment, in a boat on the bay – and never given it a second thought. He'd been following her for months, and knew where she lived. He knew who she was friends with, and went after them, to the point of attacking Damien in his own home. Perhaps Roger meeting a super-powered mugger hadn't been a coincidence. Had Roger died just because he'd known her?

This last thought was the worst one of all. It was quickly followed by another – she was putting people in danger just because she _knew_ them. Had this been the reason why four out of five of the Teen Titans been kidnapped? Because of her? Had she been the cause of one death, and maybe four more?

Damien was leaning forward, eyes concerned. Julia had her head in her hands, her eyes closed and lips pressed tightly together.

"Julia, listen to me." The boy's voice was urgent. "You'll be fine. I've been moving every few days or so, to stop them from finding me. You can go with me." His voice was low and fast, as if trying to stuff as much sense as he could in so little time into the girl's head. "You know those tunnels we used? They're underground, branching all over the city. Apparently, they're a result of some kind of giant machine worms that appeared a long time ago. We can use those tunnels to stay in hiding, Julia. Don't worry, ok? Are you listening to me?"

Julia opened her eyes and raised her head to meet Damien's gaze. Her eyes were haunted, and Damien knew immediately that what he'd said hadn't made a difference. It was possible that she hadn't even been listening to him.

"We need to go back to the Tower."

Damien had been expecting a series of reactions to the shaking news, but this was definitely not one of them. He stared at the girl, his brow furrowed.

"Why?"

The girl took another sip of the tea, but it seemed to be a subconscious act. Her eyes darted to the window, as if expecting someone to jump up and attack her. When no one did, her gaze swept the room as she spoke.

"I need to help Robin." Before Damien could protest at this strange request, she continued, "It's my fault the Titans were captured." Inwardly, she could hear Robin's words. _I'm starting to wonder if you even care about what happens to the rest of the team._ Well, now she did, didn't she? She owed them, in a way.

"Julia, the Titans being captured has nothing to do with you." Damien's voice was firm. He didn't know what it felt like to be responsible for kidnappings, or the death of a family member. He didn't even understand what it meant to be friends with the Titans. He didn't know what it felt like to be in one of Starfire's bone-breaking hugs, to share tofu recipes with Beast Boy, clean the T-Car with Cyborg, or meditate with Raven. He didn't know what it was like to spar with Robin, then joke around with the boy while they relaxed and talked.

"Doesn't it?" Julia looked at the boy. "We went in there because we were following a lead on the Ice Guy, who'd killed Roger. Four of us were picked off, one by one. Robin and I ended battling a monster from Greek myths. The one who trapped us, Aphrodite, mentioned that she'd only wanted one of us." She met Damien's eyes steadily. The thief was taking in the news emotionlessly . "She wanted me, Damien."

A thought suddenly struck the girl, causing her to jump to her feet and begin pacing.

"Aphrodite and the Ice Guy have to be in league with each other. And they want me, for some reason. And if they're working together, that would explain why that bird thing was following us." Julia walked back and forth in front of Damien, who watched her warily. "It was one of those metal birds from the Greek myths. Aphrodite can somehow create legendary Greek monsters. She sent one of those bird things to follow us." Exhilarated by her own revelation, the girl faced Damien. "God! Why didn't I get this before?"

Damien, however, didn't seem to share her excitement.

"And what does this have to do with us having to help the Teen Titans?" he asked impassively. Julia raised her eyebrows.

"Because it's my fault they were in trouble in the first place. They could be dead or hurt." When Damien's expression didn't change, the girl gave an impatient sigh. "You didn't get to know them like I did, Damien. Imagine if I got kidnapped, maybe killed, and it was your fault. How would _you_ feel?" It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Julia didn't mention this.

Her companion ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"There's no way I can change your mind, is there?" he finally said grudgingly. When Julia just looked at him, the boy sighed. "I guess that was rhetorical. Well, if you're going, then I am." When the girl looked startled, he said, "I'm not leaving you to go to an enraged Boy Blunder by yourself. I know I'm not exactly a Titans fan-" he made a face at this "-but I'm not letting you go alone. Besides, I've got a few ideas on where to find the, uh, Ice Guy and Aphrodite."

Relief washed over Julia, who quickly kissed Damien on the forehead, then stepped back.

"Thanks." Pausing, she said, a little more quietly, "I don't deserve this kind of friendship."

Damien just grinned as he put his mask back on.

"Of course you do. And more." Standing up, he tossed the black duffel bag at Julia. "Your equipment and costume is in there. You'll be better off wearing it," he added, at the girl's doubtful look. "And not just because you look great in it." Striding over to the door, he put a hand on the doorknob and turned to look at Julia, who was unzipping the bag. "I'll be waiting outside," Damien told her. "Change as fast as you can. We're going to pay the Boy Blunder a surprise visit."

* * *

**A/B:** I have to admit, I had this huge writers block right before I wrote this, so I didn't write for awhile. So if the writing style seems a little different than what it usually is, that's why.


	41. The Offer

**A/N:** So I'm finally allowed back on the computer. I haven't written that much lately, because I've been so busy with school, work, and activities, but I'm trying to find time to write. The story's almost at the climax. All I can say right now is to read, be patient, and send in reviews (please). So, enjoy!

* * *

Robin was in what Beast Boy would call 'Work Mode: Level 5'. Meaning, the Boy Wonder was crouched over the computer console in the Operations Room, his eyes glued to the screen as his fingers skittered over the keyboard. Spiked hair hanging limply pointed to at least a day without a good cleaning, and the wrinkled costume showed that it had been worn more than was ideal. Above, the wide screen was turned off and blackened to block the noon sunlight, its shadow falling upon an empty floor (save for a single apple core).

In short, the Titan leader had gone full-out obsessive. Of course, this didn't mean that the boy had lost his reflexes and skilled senses.

So when the Operations Room doors slid open with a smooth _shhhk_, Robin was on his feet and facing the entrance, a birdarang in each hand in seconds. Masked eyes darted from side to side, taking in the room.

No one was there.

Still, the Boy Wonder didn't relax. And as he turned back to the computer console, his weapons still gripped tightly, he saw the source of his tension – Red X and Athene standing in front of the darkened screen, looking down at him.

Without thinking, Robin hurled the two weapons at his opponents, the birdarangs crisscrossing each other in midair. The thieves merely ducked in response, the girl a millisecond slower. Red X's expression was impossible to read because of his mask, but Athene's face was one of barely hidden amusement, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile as the birdarangs thudded into the glass and distorted the black screen.

The fact that he was tired, outnumbered, and facing two highly skilled thieves didn't stop the Boy Wonder as he whipped out his metal bo staff and swiftly extended it with a click. It didn't stop him from bending his knees, then taking a leap at his two enemies with a kind of enthusiasm that came with a huge stock of bravery, or just a temporary lack of common sense.

What did stop him was a solid sheet of electricity, which the youth slammed headfirst into.

"Ungh."

Robin picked himself off the ground as quickly as his stunned body would allow, looking up just in time to catch Red X turning his head to glance at Athene.

"Was that-"

The sparking shield disappeared, giving Robin a better view of the two thieves. Athene was pointing the laser gun, strapped to her right arm, at him, while Red X had one x-marked palm facing him, a few small x-blades in his other hand. The caped thief, however, was looking at his companion almost accusingly, his masked eyes narrowed.

"Yes, that was me." Athene kept her eyes on Robin as she answered Red X's unfinished question. "Just forget it."

Ignoring their short conversation, Robin narrowed his eyes at the sight of his two least liked foes (at the moment).

"_You_," he growled, uttering the time-honored cliché remark.

"Yes, me," Red X and Athene replied simultaneously. Realizing this, they glanced at each other quickly, the girl flashing a swift smile.

Choosing again to ignore these pleasantries, Robin took a fighting stance, his body lined with tension. Unfortunately, the effect was slightly ruined by his lank hair and wrinkled costume.

"Get out." The Boy Wonder's voice bordered on a snarl as he glared at Red X, then at Athene. "Especially_ you_."

At this, Athene raised one eyebrow, the briefest flicker of hurt disappearing as quickly as it had come. She readjusted her features to look contemptuously amused.

"That's quite a change in attitude towards someone who's been living with you for months," she pointed out. She knew that the only reason why he hadn't gone after her when she'd escaped was because his main priority was to rescue his friends. If the other Titans weren't currently kidnapped, the youth would've pursued her in a heartbeat.

"We would've kicked you out sooner if we'd known you were going to take us down," Robin told Athene harshly, a vein in his left temple visibly throbbing from anger. "When the rest of the Titans are back, you're going to jail."

"For what?" Athene raised her eyebrows challengingly. "For becoming friends with you, and then being forced to leave because I wasn't to your taste?" To her right, Red X twitched at the word 'friends'. Robin, glowering at the girl thief, didn't see this.

"You were never friends with us," the Boy Wonder snapped. "You-"

"Look, kid," Red X interrupted, "enough with the conniption. We're not here to listen to you rant."

"We're here to give you an offer," Athene informed Robin coolly. "One of those take-it-or-leave-it ones."

"I don't make deals with thieves," the Titan leader retorted instantly. Judging from the way he kept shifting minutely, the boy was still looking for some kind of advantage in order to beat the thieves. While Red X watched the superhero carefully, his companion didn't seem to notice.

"I wouldn't be so sure." The caped thief raised one eyebrow. "It involves the rest of your posse."

At this, Robin's mood abruptly shifted from threatening to furious.

"You know where they are," he accused, pointing a finger not at Red X, but Athene. "What did you do with them?"

Athene rolled her eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she demanded. "I didn't do anything to them."

"Liar."

"Shut up." A single x blade spun towards Robin, who deflected it with his bo staff. Red X scowled at the youth, who was alternately glaring at each of the thieves. "We've got an idea where they are, and...we're offering _temporary_ help."

Robin snorted in disbelief.

"You're suggesting a _team up_?" he repeated incredulously. "Like I said - I don't make deals with thieves. And I'm working on the investigation."

"Don't be stupid," Athene snapped, causing the Boy Wonder to make a convulsive movement. "We've got a hell of a better idea as to where the rest of the Titans are. If you don't accept a team up, you're losing valuable time that you could be using to rescue the team."

The Boy Wonder's eyes narrowed, but he was silent as he thought this over. Athene could practically see his mind working on over-drive: if he accepted, he'd have to work with two criminals. But on the other hand, he might make better time, not to mention have more support. And if he didn't accept, he could be losing out on an opportunity. Besides, there was always the chance that he could turn the situation around in his favor once they found the Titans.

Barely a second had gone by, but Red X had already started humming the Jeopardy tune. Shooting the thief a glare, Robin looked back at Athene.

"What are you getting out of it?" he demanded, getting straight to the point. "What do you have to gain from helping me?"

Something flickered in Athene's eyes, then disappeared before Robin could identify it.

"I've got a score to settle with them," she replied flatly. "Aphrodite set a Nemean Lion on me, and the Ice Guy killed an innocent bystander. I'm not letting them get away with that."

For a moment, Robin surveyed the girl thief with unreadable eyes. Then he nodded.

"Fine," he said finally, grudgingly. He looked at Red X. "If I have to team up with two thieves to find the Titans, then fine. Let's do this."

* * *

Five minutes later, the three youths were crowded around the middle computer console. 'Crowded' was a relative term, since Robin was keeping a good foot of space between himself and the thieves, and would move away whenever that space diminished. Both he and Red X would casually let their hands drift to their weapons whenever they sensed that the other was making a possibly threatening move.

After a few minutes of inconspicuous defensive postures and movements, Athene finally cracked.

"God!" she snapped, as Robin's hand darted to a birdarang when Red X shifted restlessly. "Can't you two stop twitching? We're supposed to be working together, not fighting _against_ each other."

As Robin just shot her a glare, Red X shrugged shamelessly.

"Old habits die hard," he replied, then turned back to the computer console. Bending down – he chose to stand rather than sit in the swivel chair – the thief typed rapidly into the computer. Fingers skimming over the keyboard, he swiftly brought the computer screen to the widescreen above and began opening files and programs.

As seconds passed by and Red X pulled out file after file in the Titans database, Robin's eyes narrowed more and more. Finally, the Boy Wonder had to ask.

"How did you get into the database? Cyborg has a ton of security measures on _all_ our files."

As Red X gave a low chuckle, Athene answered for him.

"Put it this way, Robin. If he can break into Titans Tower and steal a dangerous suit that you personally locked up, he can hack into the Titans database." It obviously wasn't the kind of answer that the superhero was looking for, but the youth settled for a scowl directed at Red X's back.

A few more seconds later, a large satellite image of Jump City appeared on the widescreen, the many streets and tops of buildings clearly visible. A few clicks later, and shades of black and white were superimposed over the image, turning the city into a mass of mostly gray. In isolated spots, tinted white or light black shapes were visibly outlined from the other colors.

"This," Red X announced, hovering the computer pointer over the image, "is an infrared satellite image of Jump City, taken from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The colder the spot, the brighter the color. The warmer the spot, the darker the color." He ignored Robin as the Boy Wonder approached the widescreen and yanked out the two birdarangs (and unfortunately a few pieces of glass), muttering, "Obviously."

"This is just for you, Bird Boy," the caped thief drawled in his mechanized voice. "I don't need to see something I already know. If you don't want the information, you just say the word and we'll leave."

When Robin shot him a glare but remained silent, Red X continued.

"We know that this Aphrodite, the one who kidnapped your posse, works with the guy you were chasing."

"Ice Guy."

Both thieves looked at him.

"What?"

Robin raised one eyebrow as he looked down at them from his position in front of the screen.

"The 'guy we were chasing' is called Ice Guy."

At this, Red X gave a snort of derision, which crackled through the voice filter.

"Ice Guy?" he repeated, amusement somehow getting through the mechanization. "Were you looking for the obvious?" When the Boy Wonder didn't deem him suitable for a response, the thief shook his head, saying "Ice Guy. Jeez," under his breath.

"Anyway," Athene went on loudly, as Robin's hand began to drift towards his collapsed bo staff, "The Ice Guy works with Aphrodite. According to sources-" she didn't mention that the 'source' was Damien "-he seems to have an aura of coldness around him constantly. The longer he stays in one spot, the colder it becomes."

Taking over Red X's spot, the girl used the pointer to circle the small blooms of shaded white over the city.

"So wherever he's staying, it's got to be colder than the rest of the city. If we know where our target is, we know where Aphrodite is. And we have a better chance of finding the rest of the Titans."

Robin, who was looking up at the screen, folded his arms thoughtfully.

"And the fact that there are more than ten of those sites?" he inquired, more demanding than questioning. Red X, casually polishing an x-blade with his cloak, pointed the weapon at the superhero.

"Relax, Boy Blunder. You're taking this way too seriously."

"Too seriously?!"

"That's what I just said."

"This is my team at stake here, X. This isn't some kind of mindless activity. There's no room for negligence or witty humor."

"There's _always_ room for witty humor. Or have you been living your whole life as a killjoy?"

"SHUT UP."

At Athene's sudden outburst, the two boys turned to stare at the girl, whose eyes were closed and jaw clenched in an attempt to keep her power in check as her emotions flared. Still, a few stray sparks skipped over her hair once, then disappeared as she took a deep breath, then opened her eyes calmly.

"We don't have time to bicker," the girl remarked evenly, meeting each of their gazes. Her voice, though steady, was backed with forced patience. "I don't care how much you hate each other. I don't care that some kind of manly custom says that you have to fight in a manly way, whether verbally or physically. All I care about is that we have a mission that we have to get through before this century, and _alive_."

The room was completely still.

"So in order to do that," Athene continued, with forced composure, "we have to start working together and stop fighting. Got it?"

There was no reply from either of the youths, but she didn't really expect one. Another manly custom was never to openly admit that you were being chewed out, and especially when it was for a valid reason. It was a pride thing, or so the girl had learned.

Taking another deep breath, Athene turned back to the computer and took control of the pointer once more. "We can eliminate several sites quickly. Some of them just don't have any kind of heating system or insulation." A few typed commands, and several pale blobs became gray. "Some of these are situated over dirt, so they don't have the microclimate effect. Unlike the rest of the paved city, heat isn't trapped and radiated back into the air."

A second later, the last remaining tinted white shapes blended into the background, leaving one single area. It was set slightly outside of the city limits, covering a section of dirt roughly half a block in size.

Necks craned upwards, all three teenagers stared at the spot, which glimmered innocently white on the screen.

"That's the location?" Robin asked doubtfully. "It's situated over bare earth. How do you know-"

"-that we're not just giving you witty humor?" Red X supplied. Not waiting for the boy's answer, he said, "Because there's evidence." Stepping in front of the computer console, he brought up an internet search engine then found a specific webpage. Once opened, it revealed itself to be an article in the _Supernatural Summary_, entitled "Haunted, or Not?"

"_This_ is evidence?" Robin critically eyed the elaborate Celtic designs on the margins. "Is this even a valid source?"

Rolling her eyes, Athene exchanged a look with Red X.

"For someone who lives with a dark magic caster, you have a surprising lack of trust in anything mystical." As Red X scrolled down the page slowly, the girl read out bits of the article. "It says that there's some kind of rumor that the area around the same spot we were looking at is 'preoccupied by a spirit-like entity'. Apparently, people who go nearby – and few people do – feel like it's a giant cold spot. You do know what a cold spot is, right?" she added, glancing at Robin.

The Boy Wonder nodded curtly, absorbed in reading the information. "Good. So since there are frequent 'temperature variances', and the people who go near get this feeling that they're being watched, there's a rumor that it's the site of 'paranormal activity, possibly where manifestation takes place'. They know someone or something's there, and it's cold, but they're too freaked out to look."

Both thieves turned to look at the superhero, who was still gazing at the widescreen.

"This is the best option you've got," Athene told the boy firmly. "This is the last moment that you can change your mind."

Red X raised one eyebrow challengingly.

"Take it or leave it, Bird Boy."

For a long moment, Robin didn't say anything. He merely stood there, looking up at the screen intently, as if waiting for a decisive decision to jump out at him from between the Mistral font letters. Even Red X refrained from making a comment as they waited for the superhero's ultimate answer.

Finally, right before Athene was about to demand for a response, the Titan leader spoke.

"All right."

Relieved, the two thieves relaxed.

"But," Robin interjected suddenly, "if we do this, we have to do this by _my_ rules."

In Red X's stunned silence, the superhero lightly leapt down to the ground, took over the computer, and began mapping out plans efficiently. And as the Boy Wonder started to list and elaborate on 'his rules', Athene allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.


	42. Robin's Rules

**A/N:** I recently rewrote the first two chapters of "A Good Thief", since I'd gotten some suggestions and I agreed that the chapters weren't quite right. Unfortunately, our wonderful site doesn't count revised chapters as updates to the entire story, so I decided to put in a faux (false) chapter: Robin's Rules.

* * *

_Ever wondered what rules Robin would lay down if he ever had to work with a thief (or more)? Here's a starting list:_

Rule 1: Follow Robin's rules, Robin's plan, Robin's orders

Rule 2: No killing

Rule 3: No guns and/or lethal weapons of any type

Rule 4: No double-crossing and/or desertion

Rules 5: No stealing.

_If you think any other rules should be added, send in a reply to this chapter (and possibly a review of the two rewritten chapters)._


	43. The Invisible Building

**A/N:** So I know that I haven't written in awhile. But, to make up for that, I wrote an extra-long chapter. Not only that, but the climax of the story begins right after this chapter. Well, not right after. But the story sets up for the climax, and the final ending. Reviews appreciated as always.

* * *

"'No guns and/or lethal weapons.'"

Athene was pretty sure Red X was smirking from under his mask, judging from the way he quoted one of Robin's Rules, and from the way he kept shaking his head as if mulling over how pathetic the Titan was.

"You can understand his concern," Athene commented offhandedly, unable to resist a sardonic smile. "Apparently, we seem to be the kind of people that would go around with 'lethal weapons'." Unconsciously, she let go of Red X's waist to touch the small yellow communicator attached to her belt. Before they'd left the Tower, Robin had handed it over to her without Red X noticing. Now, even as the two thieves rode on the X-Cycle towards the goal sight, Athene still hadn't brought it up.

Red X casually lifted one shoulder in a shrug as he turned a sharp corner.

"The Bird Boy's having flashbacks. He's got some kind of idea that we're Gotham gangsters or-"

_Doo doo doo, doo-doo doo doo _doo _doo_.

As the sound of the famous Titan jingle, Red X swore and looked back at the source of the sound.

"You have a Titan communicator?!"

Fumbling to unhook the device from her belt, Athene gave a sigh of impatience.

"Well, we needed _some_ way to communicate with each other," she replied defensively. "The communicator works."

Flipping the object open, she ignored Red X's grumble of "He can eavesdrop on whatever we're saying", and pushed a button on the side. Robin's face appeared on the screen, eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you there yet?" he demanded. "We're on a tight sche-"

"Bullshit."

Both Robin and Athene's eyes widened at Red X's forceful remark.

"What?"

Red X glanced back at the screen.

"If you wanted to know where we are, you could track the device. What do you really want?"

Robin got over his surprise faster than Athene would've thought. Arranging his features back to impatient irritation, the Boy Wonder folded his arms, business-like.

"I'm just making sure you know what you're doing."

As Red X shook his head once more, clearly deigning the superhero not worthy of a response, Athene spoke up.

"Yes, we know what we're doing. We _do _know how to work the telephoto cameras, after all."

"Remind me how you know how to use them?"

Athene shot a quick glance at Red X, who briefly shook his head. Fortunately, the thief wasn't visible on Robin's screen. Looking back at the communicator, Athene gave her sweetest contrary smile.

"Let's just say that thieves have a tendency to know about new tech on the market." When Robin's scowl deepened, the girl thief went on. "God, stop worrying. All _you_ have to do is calm down and get the Tower systems ready for the data, then put together the diagram. Think you can handle it, Boy Blunder?"

In response, the Boy Wonder terminated the connection.

Grinning, Athene snapped the communicator shut, then turned it off to block all incoming frequencies. When she saw Red X glance back again, she shrugged.

"I don't exactly want the thing to go off at the wrong moment."

Turning back around in time to swerve around a pickup truck, Red X shook his head.

"Sweetheart, I definitely wasn't complaining."

* * *

"East, X. Move a few yards east to get into the 9 o'clock position."

"Let me guess- you've got a satellite feed of the area on the communicator?"

Crossing the rooftop of a narrow apartment building, Athene allowed herself a small smile. Once again, it was easy for Damien to predict what she was doing. Of course, that might've been because of the fact that he'd taught her the art of thievery.

"Right again." Glancing to the empty area just outside the city, the girl felt her smile falter. "Remind me again why you're the one on the other side?"

"Because I'm the one who can teleport. Relax – I'm a professional."

Coming to a halt in the middle of the roof, Athene shaded her eyes as she looked in the direction of the supposed building. At the Tower, it was easier to believe that an invisible building existed. When she was standing on the nearest rooftop, looking at a blank patch of ground, however, it was harder to believe that anything was there.

"Whatever you say." Glancing down at the communicator to see that the youth was in position, Athene shut the device and pocketed it. As she began unstrapping the telephoto camera and tripod from her back, the girl asked, "Hey, do you think the Bird Boy minds that I turned the communicator's link system off?"

There was a snort on the other end, followed by a rustling noise as, presumably, Red X climbed a tree to get in a higher position.

"Who cares? You don't need to keep it on like a Titan."

Hearing this, Athene silently grimaced. She still hadn't told Red X about her temporary status as a Titan. And unfortunately, the more she put it off, the worse his reaction would probably be.

"I guess you're right."

Elongating the tripod and setting up the telephoto camera, Athene fell silent. Her part of the mission was to take long-distance shots of the invisible building, from four viewpoints around the building, based on the positions of a clock: 3, 4:30, 6, and 7:30. Red X, for his part, would be taking the 9, 10:30, 12, and 1:30 shots.

They, and Robin, had come up with the idea that the secret building was invisible, but only to the living eye. If some kind of power or spell kept any living thing from mentally making the connection that the building was there, a piece of technology such as a camera would capture the image. If they used telephoto cameras to take eight shots at different perspectives, they could use the high-tech telephoto cameras to send the pictures to the Titans Tower computer, then use a program to put together a 3-D model of the building itself. With a more detailed description of what they were about to face, the three teens would have a higher chance of success.

Red X, of course, had volunteered the two of them to do the work of actually taking the pictures. Whether this was because he didn't trust Robin or because he just didn't like Robin, Athene wasn't sure. But the caped thief had assigned himself the task of having to take the pictures from the other side of the building, where a forest fringe was located. Athene would take the opposite side, and stand on the nearest city buildings to get the shots.

Quickly setting up the equipment from her 3 o'clock location, Athene aimed the camera in the direction of where the building supposedly stood. Even through the lens, she couldn't see the alleged building. Still, the girl snapped a few shots, panning the camera from left to right to make sure that she'd gotten the entire building. The pictures would automatically get sent to the Tower via a small device on the side of the camera. Then, finished, the thief disassembled everything, strapped it all to her back, and climbed down the building to get to the building in the next position.

Climbing up the buildings, taking the shots, then again descending the buildings, Athene took quick glances around every few minutes to make sure that the coast was clear. The last thing she wanted now was some stranger spotting her on the rooftop, taking pictures of a patch of empty land. Of course, she could always say that she was a surveyor, but her costume would contradict the lie. Despite all of this, she never noticed anyone looking her way. Very few people ever thought to look up.

It wasn't until the girl was taking pictures in her 6 o'clock position did she notice anything out of place. She had just finished off taking the pictures when a flash of light made her look up. But the land, as before, was empty. Unperturbed, Athene went back to taking the equipment apart.

A second later, however, the same flash of light from above made her look up. This time, she remembered to look above the building. Scanning the sky, Athene noticed a single bird gliding through the air. Every few seconds, the angle of the sun would somehow cause glances of light to reflect off the bird and send rays of light in different directions, which was causing the flashes of light.

Uneasy, Athene adjusted her microphone connecting her to Red X.

"Hey, X."

A few seconds and rustles later, he answered.

"What's up?"

Athene peered up at the bird for a moment, then continued dismantling the equipment, moving more swiftly.

"You said we should take note of anything suspicious. Well, I just saw a single bird in the sky. It's reflecting light or something from the sun."

There was a second of silence on the other end.

"Dammit." The sound of rustling resumed as Red X said sharply, "We've got to pack up and go. If it's what I think it is, we can't let it see us. Meet me at the X-Cycle. What positions did you get to?"

Working swiftly, Athene strapped the camera and tripod back onto her back.

"Uh, 3, 4:30, and 6. I didn't get to 7:30. You?"

"9, 10:30, and 12. I'm skipping 1:30."

Descending the apartment building via the emergency ladder, Athene bit her lip as she heard the news.

"If we missed two of the shots-"

"It's fine." Red X's voice was taut. "We've got the other shots to make the model."

"You don't think it'll affect the mission?" Athene asked, making her way towards the alley where the X-Cycle was parked. "If we miss part of the building?"

Rounding the corner, the girl saw Red X already waiting next to the motorcycle, holding her helmet ready for her. Obviously, teleportation had saved him the time to run back to the city. As Athene took the helmet and put it on with a nod of thanks, Red X got onto the X-Cycle.

"Honestly? It's doesn't matter. We've got two of the best thieves in the city, and the west coast's most paranoid superhero. We'll be fine."

The moment Athene got onto the motorcycle, Red X revved the engine. A second later, they were speeding out of the alley and heading back to Titans Tower.

* * *

"You're missing two shots" was the first thing Robin said as Red X and Athene stepped into the Operations Room, the door sliding shut behind them.

"And we missed you too, Bird Boy," Athene replied dryly. Stopping by the kitchen, she snagged a water bottle from the fridge and walked back to the other two youths, unscrewing the cap. "What kind of greeting is that?"

In reply, the Boy Wonder folded his arms.

"First of all, don't call me that. Second, stop stealing from the fridge. Third, we need those two shots."

Athene stopped in front of the superhero, taking a swig of the water just to spite him.

"First of all," she responded, mimicking him, "you've been called worse. Second, I've been taking stuff from the fridge for months. And third," she glanced over at Red X, who was lazily reclining on the couch, "we had some difficulties."

"Don't even try to out-argue her," Red X advised Robin. "It won't work – I've tried."

Robin struggled between possible responses, but finally gave up, deciding to forgo personal insults for the main mission.

"What kind of difficulties?" he asked, striding over to the middle computer console. "I kept trying to reach your communicator, but it was turned off. You're just lucky there wasn't an emergency."

"If there was an emergency," Red X remarked to no one in particular, "an annoyingly perky tune ringing from a pocket isn't going to help anything."

"There was some kind of lookout," Athene explained, ignoring Robin's glare at the caped thief. "A metal bird or something. X said that he's seen it before. If it saw us taking the pictures, whoever's in that building knows we're coming."

"Great." Typing into the computer console, Robin frowned. "Not only do we have missing parts of the building, but we also lost the element of surprise."

Up on the widescreen, the numerous images that the thieves had taken began to appear. But instead of catching the picture of an empty expanse of land, the images showed a dull gray building a few stories tall, with few windows dotting the sides, and one tall tower. One by one, the pictures were transferred into the middle of the screen, each tacking onto the last and adjusting itself to fit in with the assembling object. A few minutes later, every shot was used; the result was a 3-D image of the gray building, which rotated around to display each side.

Red X cocked his head, mildly impressed.

"Whoa. It actually worked."

"Your surprise isn't exactly confidence-inspiring," Robin replied sourly. Watching the building rotate slowly, he used the pointer to hover over two opposite blank spots on the building. "Those are most likely from the missing shots," the Boy Wonder commented. "We're virtually blind to whatever's located there."

"Get over it." Athene rolled her eyes. "We don't have to know every inch of the building, Bird Boy. We just have to have a general idea of what it _looks_ like. Now that we know where some of the entrances are, we can start doing the real planning."

"Don't you care if the mission fails or not?" Robin demanded, turning around to meet the thief's gaze. "It's my friends that are trapped in there."

"And it's _my_ life that depends on if we fail or not," Athene retorted. "Stop thinking that this only matters to you."

"I hate to say it, but we're wasting time," Red X commented from his position on the couch. Getting up, he came over to stand beside Athene, who was exchanging glares with Robin. "Let's just get this over with."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Turning back to the computer console – and clearly resisting the urge to utter a sharp retort to the two thieves - Robin enlarged the building model.

"So here's how we can infiltrate the building…"


	44. Vigilante

**A/N:** So I know that I haven't posted in about a month. I've been horrifyingly busy, and I also had a bit of a writer's block. From here on out, though, that hopefully won't happen. This chapter might not be as exciting as the others (it's more a prerequisite for the next few chapters), but it definitely gets more exciting from here on out.

Reviews appreciated!

* * *

Good guy infiltrations, Athene found out, were not like those depicted in movies, books, or comics. The good guys did not come in guns blazing, nor sneak in via the roof, constantly muttering things into microphones like "Roger that", "Go, go, go!" or "Ten-four".

Instead, Athene found herself crouching on the building rooftop nearest to the invisible building, running the plan through her mind. Robin had made it clear (several times) that they would not be using guns, and they had all agreed that stealth was the best way to go. This meant that outward vocal communication would be at a minimum.

Still, each of them was equipped with microphones that connected them to each other. As a secondary precaution, Athene had kept her communicator, which she kept on because of Robin's complaints. The device hung in a small pouch on her belt, its weight a constant reminder. Of what, she wasn't sure.

Raising binoculars to her eyes, Athene kept a careful watch over the invisible building. In order to see it, she'd used a high tech binocular that, instead of letting her see through lenses, showed her an updated video feed that the device received. The building might've been hidden from her eyes; but to mechanical ones, it was as clear as day.

"We should've used these instead of the telephoto cameras," Athene murmured. Because they weren't technically in the building yet, she could talk safely. Robin, kneeling on the roof next to her, shook his head when he heard her.

"Not if we wanted a three dimensional model of the building," the youth replied calmly. "By the way - I'm still waiting for the explanation as to where you got those binoculars."

A small smirk appeared on the girl's face.

"You keep waiting, Robin."

Scowling, the Boy Wonder raised his own binoculars to his eyes. After a moment, he spoke again.

"I think I knew all along that you were Athene."

Caught off-guard, the thief lowered her binoculars and turned to stare at the superhero. There went her confidence in her sneakiness.

"What? How?"

Robin shrugged, barely batting an eye at her shocked response.

"How else were you so able to keep up with us in fights? You couldn't have learned all of that just from taking martial arts as a kid. And that time before we watched the movie, I noticed the bruise that I gave you." The youth glanced at Athene, to see that the girl was staring at him, looking crestfallen. "And right after the fight with the Nemean Lion, when you stole that machine? A thief-like tendency."

"Anyone would've done that," Athene protested weakly. "If someone is concerned about someone else enough, they'd do anything to help them." As she said this, the thief glanced backwards at the empty roof behind them.

Robin fiddled with his own binocular. Without looking away, he said, "Don't worry – he's not there."

Surprised, Athene looked at him.

"Who's not there?" But in a way, she knew who he was talking about.

"Red X," Robin replied calmly. "He's double-checking everything at the, uh, X-Cycle. That's what I would do, if I had his part of the plan." There was a small pause. "Anyway, you don't have to get so worried whenever you speak of superheroes as _good_."

"I don't-" Athene began, then stopped. As much as she hated to admit it, the Boy Wonder was right. Ever since she could remember, she'd avoided seeming to like superheroes whenever she was in front of Damien, especially after their fight after Roger's death. Talking about superheroes in a good light was just one of those things that she wasn't supposed to do.

"You shouldn't be worried about looking like you like superheroes," Robin advised evenly. He continued to watch the invisible building, and Athene had a nagging suspicion that he hadn't let his attention waver from it for one second, despite his conversation with her. "After all," the Boy Wonder went on, "you're practically half-superhero, yourself."

This produced a snort of derision from the thief.

"No, I'm not."

Robin shrugged.

"Whether you like it or not, you are. Like I said before, you've got the skills. You have the courage, determination, and risk-taking down. If your morals were in line, you'd practically be a superhero."

Athene thought this over for a moment. To her annoyance, the youth was right.

"Then what am I now?" she asked finally, challengingly. "I'm not a thief if I don't steal. But I'm not a superhero if I don't have the 'good intentions'." She made the quotations in the air mockingly. "So what do you call someone like that?"

"A vigilante," Robin replied simply, though with a slightly disapproving tone.

"A vigilante."

Athene repeated the word quietly, tasting the word on her tongue. Surprisingly, it felt good. "I like it."

"Don't," Robin said shortly. "Vigilantes aren't good." When Athene just looked at him, the youth continued, "They're the outcasts. Too rogue to be accepted by superheroes, and too do-gooding to be liked by thieves or criminals."

"Uh, aren't superheroes technically vigilantes?" Athene asked skeptically, raising her eyebrows. "You know, taking the law into your own hands?"

For the first time, Robin showed some irritation.

"Superheroes aren't vigilantes," he insisted. "We have the morals and good intentions of society to uphold. _Vigilantes_ don't."

"Sounds fun," the girl thief remarked casually, and was rewarded with a scowl from the Boy Wonder. "God, calm down, Bird Boy. Why're you so interested in my moral placements, anyway?"

The superhero's frown disappeared, and he adopted what Athene recognized as his heroic 'for the people' attitude.

"Because I don't think you should be a thief anymore," he replied firmly. "If I can talk you out of being one, I will. This city – the world – could do with one less thief."

_That_ stung. The youth made it sound as if thieves were mosquitoes, better to be killed off or never to exist at all. But before Athene could launch a fiery retort, Red X teleported onto the roof behind them, belt loaded and ready. Both Robin and Athene, experienced in sudden movements and appearances, didn't twitch as Red X strode over, his mechanical voice somehow still characteristically laid-back.

"Ready when you are, kids."

* * *

Athene did not like waiting, especially when she had to helplessly watch as her best friend single-handedly performed one of the most crucial parts of the mission. Still, the girl was forced to do just that as she hunkered down on the edge of the rooftop next to Robin, binoculars glued to her eyes as she stared at the (now visible) building.

"Calm down," Robin murmured to Athene as Red X appeared on the roof of the invisible building. However, calming down was just the opposite of what the girl was doing as she tensed, having second thoughts about the mission.

For one thing, she shouldn't have dragged Damien into all of this. He didn't owe the Titans anything, least of all Robin. And the mission itself was risky – riskier than normal, anyway. None of them knew what lay inside the building, who – or what – waited in there, or if the missing Titans were even being held there. All they had was an incomplete model of the outside of the building.

For the third time in an hour, Athene wished that she could just scry on the wind for information. Every building had to have some kind of vent that led outside, and if she could slip a slight breeze through some air vents, she would be able to scope out the inside and outside of the building to get a better picture of what they were about to face. Unfortunately, scrying the wind gave her massive headaches for hours, something that she couldn't afford to have during an infiltration.

So now Athene was stuck sitting next to the Boy Wonder, brooding over the situation but knowing that she couldn't do anything to change it.

"If it's any consolation," Robin told the girl quietly, "the clouds in front of the sun are keeping him from being blinded." When Athene spared him a mixed look of disgust and incredulity, the Boy Wonder shrugged. "Just saying."

They fell into an awkward silence as they raised binoculars to their eyes and watched Red X with bated breath. If this stage of the plan went wrong, then they'd have to delay the whole infiltration for at least a couple of days, or go to Plan B – which Robin was strongly against. He didn't even like _mentioning_ Plan B. Or Plan C, for that matter. They hadn't created a Plan D, but, as she sat on the roof and watched Plan A unfold, Athene thought that they probably should have.

Fortunately, the plan seemed to be going smoothly and on schedule. Red X strode over to the nearest camera positioned on the south west point of the building, which faced the edge of Jump City. Kneeling down, he unclipped a gadget from his belt, and attached it to one of the loose wires of the camera. The tech would effectively connect the camera system to a small handheld device in his belt. With that device, they could shut down the camera, record what it viewed, play a certain clip over and over (a loop), and more.

As soon as Red X clipped gadgets onto all four cameras on each corner of the building – giving the tall white tower in the center a wide berth – he typed a few commands into the mini computer. Instantly, the four viewpoints appeared on the screen, showing blank surroundings. On Robin's communicator, the same images appeared on the screen.

Working quickly, Red X recorded a thirty second clip of what each of the cameras saw, then began typing more commands into the gadget. Hacking into each of the cameras' systems, the thief inserted the clips (which showed empty ground on all views) into each of the corresponding cameras. The loop would play over and over again on the surveillance screens, preventing any detection of real movement outside the building.

Five tense minutes later, Robin was finally sure that the loops had been established and that whoever was watching the surveillance cameras hadn't noticed (judging from the lack of commotion or tampering with the camera systems, which the gadget could also pick up). Only then did he give a short nod to Athene, who created a large enough wind platform for the two of them to stand on. Once it was judged solid by Robin, the two teenagers stepped on and set off flying towards the building.

As Athene kept the wind platform steady with her mind, she inwardly prayed that they could reach the building without any obstacles. Although the cameras would only show a blank expanse of air, anyone who actually stuck their head outside the building would be able to see them approaching the building. There didn't seem to be any windows, at least. But if they decided to send out another of those birds or a scout…

A nerve-wracking four minutes later, and Athene and Robin lightly leapt to the roof of the building next to where Red X stood, waiting. As Athene released the breezes in the wind platform, Red X wordlessly motioned towards an opening in the roof that he'd found: an air vent, which was covered by a cone-shaped sheet of metal to prevent rain from getting in.

Without any discussion, the three teens silently pried the top of the vent off with screwdrivers from Robin's belt, then looked down the air duct. The tube was big enough even for Red X, the seemingly oldest, to fit into. It was lined with smooth metal, and trailed off into darkness after a few feet, stopping them from seeing too far down.

Robin didn't hesitate. Drawing a grappling hook from his utility belt, he attached one end onto the rim of the air vent and the other onto his belt, then climbed into the space with the rope in one hand, and a tiny flashlight in the other. Before the Boy Wonder could disappear down the tube, however, Athene put a hand on his shoulder. She would've spoken aloud, but she knew that air vents were the worst places to talk; the sounds were amplified by the emptiness, and bounced around so that anyone on the other ends could hear. Ignoring Red X's irritated poke, the girl gave Robin a meaningful look. Hopefully the Titan took it as "Be careful down there" instead of "You give us away, and you're dead".

As it was, Robin merely gave her a nod and began to descend. Once Red X judged that the youth had gone down far enough to follow, he started to hook his own grappling device onto the edge of the air duct, but was stopped by Athene. The girl ignored his head shake and smoothly entered the tube, avoiding Robin's taut grappling line, and motioning that the thief was to bring up the rear. Fortunately, Red X didn't object, and, when the girl was low enough, he followed. The three of them could only hope that they'd be ready for whatever was waiting at the other end of the air duct.

And, of course, that it wouldn't start raining and give their entrance away.


	45. The Entrance

**A/N: **Whew. I got in a chapter before the holidays officially start! Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and have a happy holiday!

* * *

It was almost completely silent as Robin, Red X, and Athene slowly descended into the air chute, with only the quiet noise of them shifting to lower themselves down. Even their breaths had become noiseless, as if they had ceased to live and were only lifeless bodies winching themselves down, with only movement to betray the life inside. Time seemed to pass by slowly, or even not at all, like they were suspended in limbo.

In all, it was like hell to Athene. She wanted to get to the fighting part of the whole mission. Usually, she was patient and calmly waited through the sneaky part of missions and thieveries, but this wasn't like any other mission. This one was personal, on two accounts: for Roger, and for the Titans. She wanted to get revenge by sinking her fist into someone's face, not silently rappelling down an air shaft.

But _did _she want to avenge Roger and the Titans? Or was she doing this out of frustration, or worse, to prove something to someone?

_Focus_, Athene told herself sternly, lowering herself down the grappling line. _It's a little too late for second thoughts._

After what seemed like eternity, Athene saw the tiny light from Robin's flashlight eventually stop. Following the cue, the girl halted, then held up a hand to Red X to signal him to stop. Below her, Robin seemed to be unhooking himself from his grappling line. A second later, he disappeared. It was too dark to see where he'd gone, but Athene assumed that he'd moved aside so that she could unhook herself, too.

Descending a couple feet, the girl finally felt solid ground (or something like it) beneath her feet. Steadying herself, she unclipped the hook from her belt, then wrested the hook from the line to tuck it into one of her belt pouches. If the line ever swayed and the metal hook hit the metal sides of the air duct, it would create a ringing reverberation.

Where had Robin gone?

Looking around with eyes that had long adjusted to the darkness, Athene spotted the Boy Wonder. He was on his hands and knees a few feet away, the tallest he could get in the air duct, which made a right angle to the one that they had just descended through. Now, he gestured for Athene to move into the tube and get out of the way.

A glance upwards showed the girl that Red X was patiently hanging on his line, the opening of the top of the air vent a small circle next to his shoulder. Athene reluctantly got on all fours and scooted towards Robin, who was facing in the opposite direction, ready to go on. Athene's head barely brushed the top of the air shaft, but the cramped space made her fidgety.

So it was with impatience that the girl waited for Red X to join them. Unlike her, he had to duck to fit into the small tube. Once he was ready though, the thief gave a curt nod to signal that they could go on.

The three started off, moving forward in a weird kind of shuffle. Robin, Athene observed, had lifted his feet from the tube and was moving on his hands and knees, making sure that the metal tips of his boots wouldn't clang against the air duct. Luckily for Athene and Red X, they had the liberty of using their feet.

Soon, it became apparent that air vent-shuffling was not Athene's favorite mode of entrance. It was just has boring as rappelling down the air shaft, and even caused her knees to ache after the first minute. For most of the time that they spent in silence, Athene mused over what they'd find in the building (besides their venting system).

Not for the first time, she wished that she could just scry for images. Unfortunately, scrying on the wind seemed to be a once-in-a-long-time thing. The last time she'd tried it, she'd gotten a massive headache that had lasted for hours. This time, she couldn't afford to have migraines in the middle of an infiltration. So instead, the three teens had to rely on improvisation and luck to find their way around the building.

After a couple more minutes that felt like a few hours, Robin stopped going forwards. Craning her neck, Athene saw why – there was a square patch in front of him, letting in strips of light. It was an outlet that let air come into a room. The metal patch was secured by four screws, one on each corner, and the blinds-shaped strips of metal were tilted to prevent incoming air from blowing directly downwards.

Robin was peering down through the narrow spaces, trying to see what was below. Apparently, he was satisfied, because a couple of seconds later, he drew out a screwdriver and a small black bundle of cloth. As Athene and Red X watched, unable to hinder or help, the Boy Wonder laid the cloth – it looked like some kind of rubber – on the space of air shaft on the other side of the outlet in front of him. Then he began to silently unscrew the bolts with his screwdriver.

When that was finished, the Titan noiselessly pulled the square patch of metal up through the opening and put it down on the rubber, where it wouldn't clang against the metal of the air tube. Finished, the youth drew out a small pellet, two inches long, from his belt. Turning slightly, he motioned for Athene and Red X – who were both watching attentively – to cover their mouths and noses. Once Athene had complied – Red X's full-face mask protected him – Robin covered his own mouth and nose with one hand. With the other, he cracked the pellet in half and dropped it through the opening.

There was no sound from below. Or above, for that matter, as Athene unconsciously held her breath and Robin stared downwards, waiting. A wisp of yellowish gas drifted up through the opening, but dissipated before their eyes. A moment later, Robin uncovered his nose and mouth and gazed below.

The next second, the Boy Wonder shifted around a bit, then jumped feet-first through the opening, into the room. There was a barely audible thump below as the youth landed, which was followed by silence. Encouraged, Athene shuffled forwards on her hands and knees to look through the opening.

Below was a small room, which sported an entire wall of video screens showing camera views of the whole building. Computers and keyboards filled the room, which also had two swivel chairs. One of the chairs was occupied by an unconscious man, whom Robin was now examining, most likely to make sure that he was properly knocked out.

When the man, dressed in a black suit of dull but flexible material, gave no sign of waking up, Robin did a quick scan and search of the entire room. Finding nothing dangerous, he looked up at Athene and gave a thumbs-up to signal that she could descend.

After a glance back at Red X, Athene leapt down into the room, landing slightly louder than the Boy Wonder had. Once she straightened up, she did a once-over of the room. There were more than thirty video screens monitoring the building. Unsurprisingly, there was no camera in the surveillance room that they were in. And, apparently, no microphone or auditory device.

"Knock-out gas?" Athene remarked, glancing at the unconscious man. He looked clean-cut and fit, which made her slightly wary. If the building's surveillance man was battle-ready, what were the guards like?

"For five minutes only," Robin replied curtly, as Red X landed next to them. "He'll wake up, but he won't remember falling unconscious."

"Then stop wasting time," Red X told the youth, crossing over to the nearest computer. Judging from the fact that it was on and running, it was the one that the surveillance man had just been using. Typing on the keyboard, the thief brought up a 3-D map of the building in thirty seconds – a long period of time for him. When Athene gave him a glance, Red X shrugged. "Not every computer's as easy to hack as the Tower database."

When Robin scowled, the thief shook his head. "Just joking, Bird Boy."

Falling silent, the three of them leaned forward to examine the diagram, which was labeled by area name, use, and cameras positioned inside or nearby.

"There they are," Robin said suddenly, pointing to a room labeled "Containment Area". Matching the room on the map to the camera view, he looked up at the appropriate video screens to see the four missing Titans located in a white room, each suspended in a glass cylinder of water. Transparent tubes extended from the top of the glass containers to their mouths and noses, keeping them alive.

"And there _they_ are," Athene murmured. She was looking at another group of video screens, which showed a gray, metallic-looking conference room with a long metal table and black swivel chairs. Seated in two of the chairs were Aphrodite and the Ice Guy. They seemed to be having a heated argument, owing to the fact that they were both scowling, and Aphrodite kept tossing her blond hair over her shoulder irritably. The Ice Guy, for his part, was clenching the edge of the metal table, frost beginning to form under his fingers. A second later, he stood up and walked towards the door. After a final parting shot at his companion, he left, slamming the metal door behind him.

"It's better when they're apart," Red X remarked, watching the blond youth walking briskly down a few halls, before turning into an equally-gray room that appeared to be another conference room. Athene couldn't see Damien's face, but she was sure that he, too, was trying to keep hatred from seeping into his voice and features. It was hard enough for her to look at Roger's killer with a calm and cool expression.

"You know your goals, then," Robin commented, tearing his eyes from a camera shot centered on the unconscious Starfire. "Memorize your directions and go." It had been agreed, back in the Tower when they'd been planning, that each of them would go separate ways. Robin would be going to free the Titans, Red X would go after the Ice Guy, and Athene would target Aphrodite.

Hopefully, once the rest of the Titans were free, they would be able to help out with the other two missions. Athene had wanted to go after the Ice Guy herself, but Red X had refused, using the excuse that Athene had already fought with Aphrodite before and would fare better than he. Robin assumed that after they had knocked out the Ice Guy and Aphrodite, they would be bringing them to jail. Athene, however, wasn't sure if she or Red X would let that happen.

After a few seconds during which the three teens stared at the computer screen, mentally tracing each of their routes to take, they stepped back. Red X put the computer back to its previous state, Athene checked the cameras to make sure that their exit from the surveillance room would be clear, and Robin picked up and pocketed the broken pellet from he ground.

Once they were ready, the three of them stood in front of the door, mentally bracing themselves. They all knew that one slipup could give not only one of them away, but all three of them and the entire mission. They had to have ultimate trust in each other.

For a second, the three teens looked at each other. Athene, looking from Red X to Robin, was wondering how they would get out of this alive – or if they even would. She had a sneaking suspicion that she was the weakest link in their triad, but she wasn't worrying over it at the moment.

"Well." Robin put a gloved hand on the doorknob of the exit. All three of them were wearing globes, preventing any fingerprints from being left. Athene had even put her hair in a tight ponytail to stop any loose strands from falling out.

"Good luck," Athene told the Boy Wonder, her eyes softening. When everything was said and done, they'd once been friends, even if for a short time. Robin nodded to her, then looked at Red X.

"Don't screw this up, X," he commented. Before the thief could reply, the Titan had opened the door and slipped out, closing it behind himself.

When the metal door was firmly shut, Red X and Athene looked at each other.

"Be careful," Damien said finally. Taking one of Athene's hands, he squeezed it reassuringly.

Athene smiled, looking up at him.

"You too. Give the Ice Guy some bruises for me."

"I will."

Turning away, Athene grasped the doorknob. After a deep breath to ready herself, she opened the door-

- and entered a nightmare.


	46. Dangerous Situation

**A/N:** Oook. Getting closer to the climax now. Keep reading and reviewing, people!

* * *

Out in the hallway, it was completely silent. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made from a silvery gray metal, which shone dully in the fluorescent glow cast by strips of light in the ceiling. Random doors – made of the same material as the walls – were placed haphazardly along the corridors, and small black cameras perched in the occasional corner. In all, the atmosphere was coldly futuristic but bland; the very air itself seemed to be chilly.

Gently shutting the door behind her, Athene took a precautionary glance down both ends of the hallway, then set off towards the left. As she lightly jogged down the corridor, she kept her eyes out for any cameras – she'd noticed in the surveillance room that the cameras had blind spots. She could find a way to get around them, as long as she spotted them first.

At the end of the hallway, the girl cast a glance to the left and right, then took a right. Not for the first time in her life, she wished that she had a photographic memory. She knew Damien did – it gave him an advantage during a thievery, especially when used with his teleportation belt. Still, Athene managed to remember which turns to take. Hopefully, Aphrodite wouldn't wander far from the conference room.

It wasn't until Athene had gone down a couple more corridors (dodging a few cameras on the way) that she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from ahead. Someone was walking briskly down the hallway to her left, which was perpendicular to the very hall that she was in. Who it was – Aphrodite, the Ice Guy, or a random guard – and what they could do was a complete mystery to her.

Heart skipping against her chest, Athene silently sprinted towards the end of the corridor, then waited against the left wall so that whoever was coming wouldn't spot her. She had to knock the person out as quickly and quietly as she could, hide their unconscious body somewhere where it couldn't be found easily, but make sure that the person would stay unconscious for quite awhile.

Athene's mind conjured up a brief remark that Robin had said earlier, when they'd been waiting for Red X to get ready.

_Your powers are invaluable, and they'll give you an edge that a regular human wouldn't have. I don't care how much you like them; in a dangerous situation, they can be the difference between life and death. Use them._

Well, this _was_ a dangerous situation.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself – but keeping her eyes open – Athene summoned her dormant powers. Lately, she'd been keeping them inactive because Damien heartily disapproved of her using them, and she was too glad that they were on speaking terms once more to anger him again.

Now, sparks of electricity flowed to her hands swiftly, as if willing to be used. Clenching her lightning-filled fists, Athene waited until the person's shadow was almost before her…then struck out.

He was taller than she'd expected, so that her fist sank into his shoulder instead of his head. Luckily, he'd been taken by surprise, and so didn't react as quickly as she did. As the young man doubled over, clutching his stinging and bruised shoulder, Athene used her other fist to hit him in the jaw. This time, the hit effectively knocked him out, and her adversary fell to the ground with an ungainly _thunk_.

Glancing around to make sure no one had witnessed the event, Athene seized her unconscious opponent by the collar and dragged him down her hallway, back towards the nearest door. Opening it, she made sure that it didn't contain a camera – thankfully, it was just a supply closet with a few shelves of unrecognizable gadgets – then pushed the young man inside. Once that was done, the girl saved a couple of seconds to examine her opponent's clothes.

Like the man in the surveillance room, this young man – perhaps in his late twenties – had a slim black suit of flexible material. He, too, was shaved, had cropped brown hair, and was in top form. He had no visible weapons (no guns, knives, etc.), and no gadgets nor communicators.

Did all the people in the building go around without weapons? Was it because they were so highly skilled in martial arts that they didn't need any (disregarding the fact that Athene had taken one by surprise and knocked him out)? Or did they have some other kind of ability to depend on? Or did they just not expect a fight in their own headquarters?

Unfortunately, Athene didn't have time to find any answers. Closing the door and locking the man inside, the girl set off back down the hallway, then took a right to continue on her way. She, Robin, and Red X hadn't timed out their missions in any way, but had to just hope that if one of them succeeded first, it wouldn't ruin the others' missions.

* * *

Red X was getting impatient. Ten hallways, five unconscious opponents, and several cameras later, and he still hadn't gotten to his destination. The building was bigger than he'd expected, and he knew he wasn't lost – he'd effectively memorized the layout of the building in half a minute when he'd looked at the 3D map. If he'd been able to – not to mention if it was safe enough – he would've just teleported to the right spot, but it wasn't possible because he'd never actually physically been to that spot. Even if he had, there was a chance that someone would catch sight of him as soon as he appeared.

Scowling from under his mask, the thief rounded another corner, and was forced to stop, knock out, and hide another guard. It wasn't really hard – he always took them by surprise and never gave them a chance to fight back – but time consuming. They all looked practically the same, and were all eliminated the same way: a punch and shock of xenothium.

In fact, Red X was just wondering at the ease of which he was getting through the building and knocking out the guards, when he suddenly noticed the drop in temperature of the air around him. He was getting closer to his target.

Without warning, two people abruptly appeared in front of him – the Ice Guy, and someone who looked like another guard. Despite the unexpected appearances, Red X managed to crouch to avoid the ice-covered fist that the blond man swung at him, then retaliated by swiping one leg out to knock his target's legs out from underneath him. Unfortunately, his opponent jumped to avoid the attempt, then whipped out a kick, which the thief evaded.

The entire time, Red X was too busy to note that the guard had disappeared into thin air once more. So when he appeared right behind him, the thief didn't notice until something came crashing against his head, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Making his way down the hallways, Robin mentally double-tasked as he went over the directions to the Containment Area while planning how to finish the missions with the help of the other Titans. Once the rest of the team was freed, they could finally work together to straightened out the entire ordeal, including capturing Red X and Athene.

The Boy Wonder knew that, in a way, he was deceiving his other two partners by receiving their help, just to take them to jail afterwards. However, he consoled himself with the fact that they probably expected it anyway, and that it was the law that was the priority, not loyalty to criminal allies.

Despite the fact that he was busily strategizing for the next few hours, the youth continued to be alert. So when two people appeared out of thing air in front of him, and the nearest – a blond man – aimed a kick at his head, the Titan leader counterattacked with a kick of his own. As he did a backflip, then threw a handful of explosives, one phrase went through his mind: _they know_.

The Ice Guy – for that was who his attacker must be – and possibly Aphrodite, were expecting the three teens. And if they had found out where he, Robin, was, then it was a definite possibility that the other two were in danger, or would be.

When the Ice Guy blocked the explosives by shattering them with an ice-covered hand, Robin threw two small spheres, then two birdarangs. As the spheres exploded, obscuring the area in smoke, the Boy Wonder used one hand to press a single red button on his Titans communicator. The smoke would buy him some time while the Ice Guy's visibility was diminished.

Unfortunately, Robin never counted on it diminishing his own visibility. So when someone appeared right behind him, weapon in hand, the youth never saw it. At the last millisecond, he sensed the presence (that trek and the lesson up the mountain _had_ come in handy), and whirled around, foot shooting out to attack whoever was behind him.

That was when an ice-coated fist collided with the back of his head.

* * *

_Right, left. Right, right. Left, right._

Athene wove her way through the hallways, which were beginning to blur in her mind. She was no longer jogging, but sprinting now, as if seized with a sudden sense of urgency. The longer she traveled, the more desperate she felt, as if she was running out of time. Fortunately, she hadn't met any other guards after the first one, which was lucky. Having to knock one out and hide him would take even more time.

Turning down another corridor, the girl mentally repeated the directions to herself. The sheer silence and emptiness of the building was beginning to become eerie. Had Robin and Red X completed their missions? Was she lost?

Then, to her horror, her Titans communicator went off.

Clapping a hand to the shrill device, Athene scrambled to turn it off, while running at the same time. There was no way that the perky tune, ringing in the stillness, would go unnoticed.

Sure enough, a second later, three people appeared out of thin air in front of her: the Ice Guy, Aphrodite, and a guard. Skidding to a halt, Athene immediately shot off a barrage of lightning bolts at the three, and was dismayed when the Ice Guy deflected the attacks with bursts of ice. What was worse, Aphrodite was smiling smugly, with her arms crossed over her designer sweater. The Ice Guy, too, was smirking in an infuriating way. Neither of them – nor the third one – made any movement to attack as Athene raised both lightning-filled hands.

As the girl conjured up a larger mass of lightning bolts, ready to fire off stronger blasts, a small part of her mind wondered why the three of them looked as though they were waiting for something.

A second later, the reason because immediately clear as something decidedly slippery and smooth wrapped itself around her waist, then engulfed her before she could even scream or fight back.


	47. Strike

**A/N:** Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the beginning of the climax. Finally. I wrote this during the dead of night on a spur of creativeness, and I'm definitely proud of it. Enjoy!

* * *

Consciousness came with the horrible sensation of something being pulled out of her. It wasn't physical, like an arm or a leg, but insubstantial. It was worse than being tugged on a limb. This was like having a part of her being sucked away from the inside.

Gasping, Athene immediately reached into the core of her power to summon lightning to defend herself-

- only to find that her supply of power was rapidly diminishing. Dismayed, Athene realized that the thing being drawn out of her was her own lightning. It streamed down her arms and out of her body against her own will, before disappearing beyond her hands.

Eyes snapping open, the girl tried to take a step backwards. Unfortunately, she couldn't move her feet, which seemed to be clamped onto the ground. Her hands, too, were strapped down to something waist-level. Glancing down, she saw that sheets of metal completely enclosed her hands, keeping them in contact with large metal spheres, one for each hand. The spheres, cold to the touch, seemed to be drawing her power out. As Athene watched in horror, lightning spilled from her hands and onto the metal orbs, which absorbed the power and carried it downwards, through metal rods that went into the ground.

Mentally grasping for the lightning, Athene tried to pull it back. However, it didn't seem to respond as it flowed out of her body and to the metal that absorbed it. Try as she might, Athene couldn't prevent her powers from being sucked out of her. She had never learned to _pull _her energy inside herself, only how to take it out. Now, feeling the last trickles of the crackling energy disappearing from her grasp, the girl desperately wished Raven had taught her to fight something like this.

A second later, Athene was completely drained of her power. It left a kind of emptiness inside her, almost like something had been carved out of body and thrown away. Grief had felt a little like this, but less tangible. It left Athene with the feeling of floundering in a void, as if the floor had disappeared from out under her.

Had Damien been right all along, to advise her to forget her powers? Unknowingly, she'd been using it as a crutch to rely on. And now that it was gone…

Well, she'd just have to rely on her other talents. Besides, if Robin and Red X could do it and still keep up with those who had powers, she could.

Taking a deep breath, Athene ignored the hollowness inside her, and surveyed her surroundings. The area she was in was almost an exact replica of the white tiled tower in which she and Robin had fought the Nemean Lion. Like before, this room was cylindrical in shape and rose up several stories to a flat roof.

This time, however, there was a circular sheet of metal raised above the ground. Onto this Athene's bare feet were strapped onto, keeping her from moving. At her back, a thick rod attached to the metal platform extended up into the air, stopping just short of the ceiling. Twisting around, Athene caught sight of an archway directly behind her. For the moment, it was sealed with a white-tiled door.

"Oh, God."

The two words bounced around the tall room, amplified by the empty space and smooth, curved walls. Athene imagined that they could float through the ceiling and into the air above, a beacon for any higher power to come help her.

But nobody would come to help her. The Titans were effectively out of the count. Nobody else, to her knowledge, knew about the Ice Guy, Aphrodite, or the fact that a large building was hiding in plain sight next to the city. And Robin and Red X…well, if she was captured, there was a high possibility that they were, too. Besides, she refused to sit obediently and wait for someone to save her.

She was on her own.

Pushing away wisps of panic that threatened to rise, Athene forced herself to be calm and look for ways to escape. Her belt had been taken from her, as well as her boots. The metal holding down her hands and feet were completely seamless, something that the girl couldn't figure out. How could someone mold metal to perfectly fit her hands before her hands were put in that position? And, if the metal was put on her hands after her hands were placed on the spheres, how did they secure it without screws or bolts?

She couldn't think of any ways to get out. All the ones she'd learned – and she'd learned quite a few – required her hands to be somewhat moveable, or at least her feet. In this case, she could do no more than bend her legs or move her torso around. The situation was truly daunting.

Eyes closed and body still, Athene spent minutes – or was it hours? – trying to strategize an escape plan. It was hard to concentrate when her heart thudded so loudly in her chest, or when thoughts like _you've been defeated_ floated across her mind.

Or when a giant rumbling noise began to fill her ears.

Opening her eyes, Athene craned her neck upwards towards the source of the noise. Above, the ceiling seemed to be sliding apart at the middle, revealing the open sky. Full, dark clouds rumbled distantly, making the girl ache in the empty space where her power had once been. Her body knew a kindred force was nearby.

Finally, when the ceiling had shifted apart completely, something else was put into motion. The metal pole at Athene's back began to elongate, reaching up towards the hole, then extending through it, higher into the storm-ready air.

By then, Athene's mind had run through dozens of thoughts, without success. What was the pole meant to do? It couldn't be there to attract lightning – the sheer power of a bolt, even a small one, would melt the metal within a millisecond. Even if it didn't – and that was a big 'if' – the lightning would run through the rod, down to the metal platform, and without a way into the earth, have nowhere else to go but-

- Athene herself.

The teen had just realized this when a brilliant white flash, coupled with an earth-shaking roar, tore through the air. An instant later, and something burning and crushing exploded through Athene's body through her feet, making her scream from the raw power that suddenly filled her.

It was a million times more energy than she got from days of rest and recharging. It was a billion times adrenaline, or the ultimate caffeine and energy drink high. Nothing manmade could produce such force, and nothing manmade could contain it for more than a millisecond.

Nothing, of course, except for Athene.

She'd desperately wanted her powers back, and now she had it – times a thousand. It was so much that it seemed to burst out of her, ravaging her body and mind beyond comprehension. A normal human would immediately die from the power that plunged into her and stayed there.

Her own lightning seemed flimsy and frail compared to nature's power. _This_ lightning was more than humans or organisms were meant to handle. It caused her hair to explode from the thin band and stand on end, surrounding her head in a mass of black. The only thing that prevented her own clothes from being instantly disintegrated was the fact that the power was _inside_ her.

The pure force was so overwhelming that Athene didn't immediately feel the familiar tug to her insides. When she finally did, it was far worse than before. The energy was being siphoned away from her, but because she'd had more power than before, it left a bigger void than before. Where the pull had felt before like it was taking away her powers, it now felt like it was sucking away her life source. It gave no release to the mighty energy that had invaded her, but instead replaced it with lifelessness.

Athene's attempts to keep the power were as useless as before, perhaps even more futile. The sudden torrent of energy had numbed her senses, leaving her awareness dull, even as she clawed for the escaping power. And when it was all finally gone, sucked through the spheres and away, she couldn't even think about it. It was more than what it felt like to be on top of the world, then come crashing down; to fall in love, then get your heart broken; to be high on life, then die.

And it had all happened in thirty seconds.

Athene was completely limp, her knees bent, with only her shackled hands holding her up somewhat. Her tangled hair lay lank around her face, her head hanging lifelessly. She didn't even have enough energy to weep.

And then she heard a sickeningly sweet, snobby voice that – even in her insensible state – made hatred and loathing uncurl itself from the dredges of her listless body and respond.


	48. To Be Or Not To Be

**A/N:** I know I haven't updated in awhile. Still, I think this chapter will more than make up for it. This is when things get tough.

* * *

"They just don't make superheroes the way they used to, do they?"

There was definitely no mistaking whose voice was echoing through the tower. Aphrodite. Even with her head hanging, Athene could see a mass of blond above, in her peripheral vision. To add insult to injury, Aphrodite was watching everything from a screen, and gloating.

"I mean," the blond continued conversationally, "You would think a lightning-powered superhero could handle a little _real_ lightning. Because, like, you've already created storms and destroyed glass windows with wind. But you can't handle a little bit of lightning? God. You're such a weakling."

Athene closed her eyes, blank shock wiping away all other thought. Aphrodite, it seemed, knew far more about her than she thought. How did she know about that last day of school? Unless…

Undaunted, Aphrodite went on, her voice filled with smugness.

"You wouldn't believe how many people are willing to give info on you," she remarked, giving a tinkling laugh that made Athene want to gag. "That girl in your study hall in school, Lacy? She was _so_ willing to give dirt on you and who you were. You know, she had the right attitude, though her fashion sense could use some work."

Lacy. _Lacy_ had given away info to her enemies? These people – Aphrodite, the Ice Guy – knew all her identities, as civilian, superhero, and thief? How had they found out? Lacy didn't know Julia Keating was Athene, only that Julia had somehow caused a freak accident.

"Oh, and did you notice your shackles? Metal perfectly molded to your hands, and invulnerable to weak lightning. All of it courtesy of Silver."

Athene inhaled sharply, her voice a whispering rasp.

"Silver is-"

"-in jail? God, no." Aphrodite laughed again, and Athene winced. "You seriously thought that Silver would stay in jail for long? She broke out when those three monsters did."

Oh God. It was all slowly starting to make sense. Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload's escape and destruction had been a distraction the entire time, all so Silver could escape from jail and team up with Aphrodite and the Ice Guy. But yet, it still didn't explain how they knew her other identity.

"Starting to put it all together, Julia? You'd be surprised how much we know about you. Like your adopted family. You didn't think Roger's death was a coincidence, did you?"

Hot rage surged through Athene's mind, giving her the strength to raise her head and meet Aphrodite's gloating eyes projected on the screen.

"You-"

"Oh, don't tire yourself out," the blond cut in. "You'll need your strength for later." When Athene's eyes narrowed, she went on. "You're probably wondering why we wanted to find you so badly."

_Actually,_ Athene thought lividly, _I was wondering how I should best kill you._

Still, she kept silent. Villains had a tendency to spill The Grand Plan needlessly.

"You have untapped potential, apparently," Aphrodite said, a tone of indifference in her voice, as if she didn't personally agree. "The big guys at the top have this big idea that you're the next big thing that they can use. Apparently, you're like a giant source of electricity or something. You can absorb lightning, then make it more easily available to use as an energy source. Personally, I don't think you'll make it through the week, not after one little strike. But those guys kept going on and on about how you can harness, like, millions of amps of electricity so they can sell it. They're talking about moving you to Florida, where there'll be more thunderstorms…"

As Aphrodite prattled on, half ranting, half explaining, Athene dropped her head down once more. She'd been hoping for some kind of extra information to help her escape – this was too much. This was a giant plan that had been concocted long ago, without her knowledge. This building, the metal, the tower – everything had been waiting for her. She'd been the last piece of the puzzle, the most valuable piece.

She'd never stopped to actually think about why someone wanted her so badly. This though, was bigger than she could imagine. She would never have thought that her powers – which she had thought a curse, then begun to think of as a controllable tool – could be her downfall. Her thievery, maybe. But never her newly-manifested powers.

She couldn't stand this for much longer, something that even Aphrodite had noticed. One bolt of lightning had drained her so much; she didn't even want to think what five would do. Kill her, most likely. Humans were not meant to withstand such a powerful force, even humans with a connection to that force.

She had to make a plan to escape. The easiest way, of course, would be to get herself out of the tower and release Red X and the Titans. With their help, she had a greater chance of getting out safely. Fortunately, Athene had just realized that she had been left with a tiny flicker of lightning inside her, possibly too small to have been absorbed by the metal spheres. If she could use that lightning to get out…

"Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm supposed to deliver the ultimatum-thing, you know." Without Athene's notice, Aphrodite had come to somewhat of a stop to her rant. At the word 'ultimatum', Athene paid full attention to the blond.

"What-"

"I'm getting to that," Aphrodite snapped. "God." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "The big guys don't need the Titans or Red X, only you. But my group thinks we could use some extra help, so we're willing to make you an offer."

The blood drained from Athene's face at these words. _The big guys don't need the Titans or Red X, only you_. Was someone else to die because of her? But the offer…

"So here's the deal," Aphrodite went on curtly. "Robin and Red X are kept in two different rooms, two different tanks." Seeing the flicker of new images appearing above, Athene raised her head to see an image of each of the youths projected onto tiles on either side of Aphrodite's screen, Robin on the left, Red X on the right. Both, true to the blond's word, were in cylindrical tanks of clear liquid, tubes hooked up to their mouths to give them air. Both appeared to be unconscious.

"Now, each of them have wires running from each of your transmuters-" Athene guessed that she meant the metal spheres onto which her hands were bound to "-to each of their tanks and tubes. In two minutes, poisonous gas is going to enter through both tubes. The only way you can stop it is to short out the gas pump with lightning." Athene's heart tightened for a moment. "Yes, we know you still have some in there. We left some for you.

"Pick the one you want to live, and we might keep him alive to work for us. Leave the other. You only have enough to short out _one gas pump_. If you try destroying both, none of them will work, and both guys die. So, what's it going to be? Robin, the Boy Wonder, or your partner, Red X? Remember – you've got two minutes to decide. After that, they both die."

Aphrodite's face disappeared, to be replaced on the screen with a clock counting down the time. 2:00. 1:59. 1:58.

For a second, Athene felt winded. Struggling to breath, her mind reeling, the girl closed her eyes to drown in her own despair. How was she supposed to make this decision? How could she possibly choose life or death for two people that she'd grown close to? If dead, Robin would be sorely missed by the superhero and civilian community and his family, team, and friends. _She_ would miss him.

But Red X. Damien. They'd known each other for years, supported each other, loved each other as friends. Maybe more, lately. She couldn't kill the very person who'd befriended her in a strange country, taken her in, taught her how to be a thief, saved her from numerous scrapes. Killing him would haunt her for the rest of her life and into the next one, if it existed.

Why did this decision have to come to her? Why did she have to know these people, and be responsible for their lives? It was too much for one person to handle. If she was forced to let one live, and let the other die, she would _never_ get over it, no matter how much therapy was given to her. If she ever escaped alive, that is. And if she did, she would have to live with ever-lasting guilt.

Beads of perspiration, unnoticed, slipped from her forehead and dropped to the ground a few feet down. They might as well have been tears of frustration. Above, on the pure white tile, the clock was still counting down. 0:16. 0:15. 0:14.

That was it, then. She had to choose whoever she thought she would live better with. The lesser of two evils, or in this case, the better of two good. Who did she think would help her most in life? Who did she think she would miss less?

0:09. 0:08. 0:07.

With a surge of desperation and agony, Julia gathered what was left of her lightning and shoved it through her right hand.

The electricity fizzled on the transmuter, then was gone.

The clock disappeared.

Heart aching, the girl looked up at the right screen. A thin bolt of lightning was crawling through a clear tube, towards the tank. Heart pounding, Julia saw it make its way to the top of the cylindrical tank, then sink into the jumble of equipment and tubes.

And she watched in horror as, in a brief flash of light, the lightning raced through the liquid and electrified Red X.


	49. A Life For A Life

**A/N:** Heh. So I know I haven't updated in about one and a half months. Sorry about that. I was pretty busy, and I got into somewhat of a writer's block.

* * *

"Oh, no." A whisper. "Oh God, no." A murmur. "No, _no,_ NO!" A cry.

In a burst of rage and anguish, Athene threw herself against her metal bonds, screaming herself hoarse. Up on the screen, the tube disconnected itself from Red X's mask, letting his body – Damien's body – sink lifelessly to the bottom of the tank. With a flicker, the screen went blank.

They had lied. Aphrodite had lied. Instead of saving Red X, instead of keeping him alive, Athene had inadvertently killed him. She had been tricked into killing the one person who could support her, who she had thought would be the one to live. First Roger…now Damien. How had this happened? How had she been responsible for the deaths of every person she loved?

The hastily-stitched threads keeping back the pain from Roger's death tore apart in an instant, giving way to a torrent of grief that consumed her. This was more than her parents' deaths. This was more than being rejected from the Titans. This was more than Roger's death. This was for Damien.

The screams had long subsided into sobs, which drowned out the rumble of the lightning rod descending back inside the tower. A small, detached part of her – the hateful, cynical, emotionless part – coolly observed that if she cried any more, she'd create a flood and drown herself in her own tears. It told her that she should've expected it, in a way; trusting Aphrodite to keep her word was a huge mistake that should've been anticipated.

But it also whispered a phrase that repeated endlessly through her thoughts, first in the back of her mind, then surfacing: _A life for a life_. The Ice Guy had killed Roger. Aphrodite had killed Damien. For all purposes, the plan had changed, the game rewritten: kill the Ice Guy and Aphrodite. _A life for a life_.

Athene had finally quieted, her sobs trailing off into silence. That distant, impassive part of her mind had filled her, numbing her grief with a cold, calculating feeling. Escape wasn't the priority at the moment – revenge was. At any opportunity that she got, she would take it and free herself from her bonds. After that…anyone in her way was fair game.

* * *

Aphrodite stared disinterestedly at Athene on the screen, her fingernails drumming on the table. At first, it had been _so_ fun watching her screaming, and even more amusing to see her crying like a baby. And then she just stopped doing anything, which was, well, plain boring.

"She cracked yet?"

Filing her nails unconcernedly, Aphrodite didn't turn around at Frostbite's voice. He was the only one who could get into the room, besides Jumper (what a lame name. I mean, naming yourself after a bunch of teleporting freaks in a movie?).

Anyway, even if anyone _had_ been able to get into the room, she would've instantly crushed them with one of those metal Stymphalian birds or something.

"Um, not unless you count her going all dead silent down there."

Really, Aphrodite didn't know how she put up with the two idiots that she had to work with. Well, Frostbite wasn't an idiot – he was just _so_ hard to work with, what with his being bossy all the time, and that icy air that came with him everywhere. The only thing that kept Aphrodite from leaving every room with him in it was his looks. His cute blond hair and gorgeous gray eyes even made up for that stupid black leather jacket he always wore.

Frostbite now strode over and sat down in one of the swivel chairs, the distinctive cold chill clinging to his form. Coming closer to the video screen and peering down at it, he ignored the blond, who had put down her file and was examining her cuticles with an apathetic expression.

"Jeez. She isn't moving."

Aphrodite spared the monitor a glance.

"Why? Is she dead or something?"

"She better not be. They'd kill us if she died on us like that." Shaking his head, the youth glanced over at the other screens. "What the hell happened to Red X's cameras?"

Head snapping up, Aphrodite leaned in closer to the three screens marked "Prison 1". Instead of the usual views of the empty white tiled room containing the liquid-filled tube holding Red X, white and ray static blurred the monitors.

"Um, discharge from that lightning?"

Frostbite jumped up from his chair, letting it fall to the ground with a crash.

"Like hell it is." Turning away, he practically ran out of the room, drawing out his communicator as he went.

Aphrodite watched him go for a moment, then turned her attention back to the monitors. After glancing at Red X's monitors a second time, she went back to Athene's. What she saw there made her eyes widen.

"Oh my _god_."

* * *

Athene had sunk into what could almost be called a meditative state of mind. Her emotions had been locked away, folded into a corner of her mind, and her thoughts were calm and seemed to drift through her consciousness. Irrationality and feelings were the last things that could help her at the moment; cold logic and detachment, however, were her best weapons.

The first thing to consider was exactly how to escape from this room. Or, more specifically, how to escape from the molded metal keeping her hands and feet down. Without her hands and feet, she couldn't reach for any gadgets that she kept outside of her belt. And without her powers, she had no energy to simply melt – or blast – the metal off.

It was impossible to tell when Aphrodite would cause the lightning rod to go up again, and use Athene to channel more electricity. Furthermore, when she did decide to, how would Athene control the raw energy enough for her to use it to break out? Even if she did somehow find the strength to direct it, what would she do with the extra energy? Letting it flow into the transmuters didn't exactly appeal to her, but she couldn't contain all of the lightning…

Just as Athene formed a tentative, terrifying solution, the lights suddenly went out.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Athene saw that not only had the bright lights been extinguished, but the screens above her, which had faded back into the original white tiles. Silence and darkness surrounded her from all sides, a sudden contrast to the blinding whiteness of the tiles and the sound of her own sobbing.

There. Noise.

It sounded like the familiar crackling of electricity, and came from somewhere behind her. Eyes still adjusting to the unexpected darkness, Athene twisted her head from side to side in order to see what was happening, but finally resigned herself to the fact that her neck just didn't turn far enough to see directly behind her.

Abruptly, the sizzle of electricity stopped, but was immediately followed by the low groan of heavy metal moving against its will. A second later, there was a loud thud of metal on tile. Then, silence once again.

The sound could only have been from someone shorting out the electronics of the door, then forcing it open. Whoever it was couldn't have been Aphrodite or the Ice Guy because they would've opened the door the regular way, and it couldn't have been that teleporter, because he could've just teleported right in. So from practical deduction, it had to be someone who was not supposed to be in the tower. And from more deduction, there was only one possible answer.

Robin.

He had somehow escaped – she'd have to ask him how, later – and come to release her. Once he did (somehow), the next best course of action was to release the Titans in order to have more power on their side. Once the Titans were back up and running, they could finally find Aphrodite and the Ice Guy. Destroying the entire building wouldn't hurt, either.

Athene had planned it all out in her mind from the very second that the realization had hit that someone was there to help her. At that point, Robin seemed like a good candidate to be her liberator. After all, if there was anyone that she trusted to get her out of a tight spot, Robin was the second person on the list. Mentally, the girl refused to think about the first person.

However, there didn't seem to be any noise coming from behind her, where the door (now lying facedown on the ground) had been broken. There were no footsteps, nor the sound of breaths.

And then, just as suddenly as the lights had gone out, someone teleported right in front of her. Instantly thinking of the teleporter that she had temporarily seen, Athene narrowed her eyes, ready for a confrontation.

Unfortunately, it was not the teleporter that appeared before her.

It was Red X.


	50. The Double and The Trio

**A/N:** So. 50 chapters. In my defense, some of the chapters are relatively short. Although I can't blame anyone for being annoyed about me not updating in a month. Heh. Anyway, enjoy (and read and review)!

* * *

A long silence stretched between the two thieves, who stared at each other across the three feet of space that separated them. Red X's mask betrayed no sign of emotion. Similarly, Athene's face had frozen into a blank look as she met the masked eyes expressionlessly.

The hush continued on as both teens stayed completely still, merely gazing at each other without a word. The darkness settled between them like a cloak, stifling the suddenly heavy breaths that the girl was taking.

Finally, Red X had to say something to break the silence.

"So…no hello?"

His mechanically altered voice seemed to shake the girl from her reverie. Closing her eyes, she opened them once more, as if expecting the boy to disappear. When he didn't, she closed her eyes again.

"You – I – the lightning – it – you're-" She fumbled for the right words as all the wrong ones tumbled from her lips, coming out as no more than ragged whispers. Finally, she took a shaky breath, her eyes still closed. "I thought you were dead."

"I know." Athene's eyes flew open as the youth's mechanical voice suddenly sounded in front of her. Red X was looking up at her. When he saw that she'd seen him, he slowly took his mask off, revealing his sweat-soaked brown hair and worried hazel eyes. She'd never seen so much concern in his normally mischievous eyes, which were now giving her a once-over to check her for injuries.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, the girl realized how she must look, with her straggly hair lying limp, her hands and feet bound firmly, her costume stripped of all her weapons and gadgets. What she didn't know was that there was haunted, yet intense light that burned in her violet eyes. All she knew was that she looked like a wreck, someone who had once stood so proudly and strong but was now reduced to a collapsed mess.

Slowly, hesitantly, Damien peeled off the violet domino mask that framed Athene's eyes, and let it fall to the ground, releasing a kind of emotional barrier that the girl hadn't realized had come with the mask. Then, cupping her face in his hands, the youth let his thumbs gently rub away the tear-marks that ran down her cheeks. This action was so unusually intimate for him that the girl closed her eyes, breathing deeply to savor it.

"You know…now that _he's_ not here to stop us from a relationship…"

Julia's eyes snapped open.

_What?_

"**Get away from her, you bastard."**

Unable to twist around at the familiar voice, Julia could only see Damien's eyes suddenly widen as he dropped his hands from her face. He took an alarmed step backwards, then turned towards the opposite wall as if ready to run. However, before he could take one step, there was a blur of red, and the youth collapsed to the ground, a sparking scarlet x buried between his shoulder blades.

"DAMIEN!"

Julia threw herself forward, gazing in agony at the fallen body before her.

"Julia. I'm right here."

And suddenly, there was another Damien, this time dressed in the slim black bodysuit worn by the guards of the building. A doppelganger or clone? He entered into her line of vision and jogged over to her, completely ignoring his fallen foe.

_Godammit._

She had had barely enough time to rejoice in Damien's 'rebirth', and someone with the nerve to impersonate him had brought her happiness to a shuddering stop.

"You asshole." Julia's words hissed through her teeth as she glared at the approaching copy of the youth who was now lying facedown on the ground in front of her. What little hope she had gained at Damien's appearance had vanished completely, turning into a spiteful rage that she unleashed on her closest victim. "You-"

The double approached her and urgently seized her around the arms, forcing her to quiet.

"Julia, stop it. It's me. Seriously." He glanced behind his shoulder at the mirror image version of himself lying on the ground. Looking back up at her, the youth stared intently into her eyes, as if trying to send her a mental message. "The one on the ground is one of the guards who can shapeshift and mimic voices."

"Liar." Julia spat the word at him and saw him flinch. At this reaction, her attitude wavered for a moment. A fake wouldn't take her insults so personally, would he? And the way he seemed so distressed at her predicament…

The Damien in the guard suit was looking at her almost beseechingly.

"Look, let me prove it to you. Something that no one else knows about you." He cast around for ideas as Julia stared suspiciously at him. "Ok. Only the real Damien would know that for your birthday, Roger bought you that pair of boots that you wanted. And I got you that pair of lightning earrings. I gave them to you after – when you visited on the day of your fake birthday. That enough?"

Julia continued to stare at him, this time less accusingly. She couldn't think of any other way someone could know all of what he'd said. And yet…cameras and receipts were powerful tools in finding that kind of information.

At her unrelenting doubtful look, the Damien look-alike took a deep breath.

"Only the real Damien would know that I would never date you unless I knew it wouldn't go against Roger's wishes."

Instantly, Julia's memory went back to what the first Damien had said to her.

_You know…now that _he's_ not here to stop us from a relationship…_

Disbelief vanished from Julia's face and was replaced with relief, then guilt.

"Oh, god. I called you an asshole."

Damien's mouth twitched into a smile as he dropped his hands from her arms.

"I have a feeling that's not the last time you'll call me that." After a moment of contemplating the metal covering her hands, he glanced back at the unconscious shapeshifter, who still retained his appearance. "Close your eyes for a moment. I need to get back into the suit."

Wordlessly, Julia obliged, and a moment later, Damien was standing masked in front of her in his X suit, digging into one of the many compartments on the belt. Knowing what he was looking for, Julia shook her head.

"It doesn't have a lock," she protested, even as the youth drew out a sophisticated lockpick. "Silver made it mold to the transmuters completely."

"Aphrodite, Frostbite, and Jumper don't trust her completely," Damien replied. After examining the bonds and the transmuters for several minutes, he began working the lockpick somewhere beyond Julia's view.

"Who?"

"Frostbite's the Ice Guy, Jumper's the third one in their group. He can teleport." A second later, there was a barely audible click, and the sheets of metal holding Julia's hands to the transmuters lifted on invisible hinges. Another couple of seconds, and her feet were free as well.

Euphoric, the girl lightly jumped to the ground, then staggered as her stiff limbs protested. Damien, practical enough to let her regain her balance independently, brought over her belt and boots, which had been stowed near the door behind them. When Julia had gained her balance properly and loosened her muscles experimentally, she put the rest of her costume on. Then, kneeling, she picked up her fallen mask from the ground. Getting to her feet, she fastened it back to her face, feeling her satisfaction being replaced by grim anticipation.

"All right – I'm ready. Fill me in."

* * *

Apparently, after Red X had been knocked out by Jumper and Frostbite, he'd been brought by some guards to one of the prison rooms, where one of the liquid-filled tubes had been located. Before the guards could remove his belt, however, he'd gained consciousness and managed to teleport into the surveillance room.

Back in the surveillance room was the same guard as before, who immediately attacked him. Apparently, the guard had the ability to shapeshift to mimic a person's looks, voice, and powers – but only after coming into physical contact with them. The guard had managed to shapeshift into Damien, only to learn that Damien didn't have any powers. Once Red X had defeated the guard – who still retained his physical appearance – he switched clothes with the guard, donned glasses that concealed his eyes, then brought the fake Red X to the prison room.

At the prison room, the fake Damien was put into the glass cylinder and hooked up to the air tubes. While the real Damien – masquerading as a guard to fool the one other guard in the room – looked on, a video screen appeared in the room, displaying Athene's plight in case 'Damien' gained consciousness. Although the real Damien had been forced to watch the bolt of lightning striking his friend, he'd been unable to do anything at the moment, since Aphrodite had also been keeping an eye on the fake Damien.

After Athene had sent the current of electricity through the fake Damien's glass container, Aphrodite had stopped observing the room, leaving the real Damien to knock the other guard out. That done, he'd freed the look-alike version of himself from the glass cylinder and proceeded to revive him. He, unlike Aphrodite, knew that the only way an electric current runing through liquid containing a person could electrify the person was if the current had a way to get into the person and out. Fortunately, the Red X suit was electric-proof, and the fake Damien had no gashes or cuts. The only thing that could possibly kill him was not the electricity, but the risk of drowning. And, true to his word, Damien couldn't let the guard drown, and risk breaking one of 'Robin's Rules'.

Unfortunately, the guard managed to catch Damien off-guard and strike him with one of the x-gadgets, which actually did send a weak electric current through Damien, knocking him out for a bit. When Damien had woken up again, he'd gone to Athene's prison room, the White Tower, just in case the fake version of himself had gone there ahead of him. It was possible that the guard had wanted to impersonate Damien in order to get closer to Athene and gain her powers. Fortunately, the real Damien had gotten there in time, just before the guard had begun to change appearance again.

"So I guess we can assume that some of the guards, if not all of them, have powers," Athene mused. While Red X had been telling her what had happened, she'd been checking her equipment while he had tied up the unconscious guard.

Dragging the guard towards the side of the room, Red X nodded.

"Looks like it." He mock-dusted his hands off, then turned towards Athene. "What next? Aphrodite, Frostbite, and Jumper should be coming soon. I managed to shut off the cameras in both our prisons."

"So if they've noticed, we've lost the element of surprise," Athene added. Sheathing one of her black-handled blades, she took a quick glance at the nearest camera, positioned on one of the white tiles. "But we still might have some time. When they do come, we've got to be ready. We need-"

"-Robin," Red X finished wryly. "As much as I hate to admit it, we need the Boy Blunder."

Athene raised one eyebrow.

"Do you know where they're keeping him?"

The youth nodded as they began striding towards the door – or more accurately, the empty doorway, since the fake Red X had blasted the entire door from its previous position.

"My prison's on the right of yours. If they're any organized, they're keeping the kid in the room to the left." He hesitated, then asked, "Are you strong enough for a fight?"

Surprised at her friend's concern, Athene paused. When she looked at him, it was with a bitter smile.

"When I see Aphrodite and Frostbite, I will be."

* * *

Outside the room was a long metallic hallway, which was dotted with only three doors labeled 'Prison 1', 'Prison 2', and 'White Tower'. Athene's room was the one directly at the end of the hallway, with Prison 1 (Red X's room) to the right adjacent wall, and Prison 2 (assumedly Robin's room) to the left adjacent wall. At the other end of the long hallway was a doorway, which led to another bright tiled room which could be barely seen.

Standing in front of the door of Prison 2, Athene impatiently acted as a lookout as Red X placed an x-shaped gadget on the door. After adjusting several knobs on the device, the thief stood back as it began to glow red. A second later, a large shock of electricity burst from the gadget, effectively knocking out all electrical devices in the room.

Almost immediately, smaller bolts of electricity snaked from the x and crawled across the metal door, before sinking into the cracks between the door and doorway. There was the faint sound of crackling, and the door gave a huge groan, falling forward onto the tiled floor with a loud thud. Before the dust had even settled, Red X and Athene were through the doorway, leaping lightly over the fallen door and into the room.

In a way, Athene wasn't that surprised at the sight that met her eyes. In the room, a soaked but grim Robin was dragging two unconscious bodies towards one side of the room. The glass tube that had once held liquid was now drained, the screen on the wall blank, and the cameras around the room dark and shorted out from the electrical burst.

Red X glanced around at Robin's handiwork, then looked like he was about to make a comment. Before he could, however, Athene touched his shoulder lightly, silencing him. Then she looked at Robin, who, having finished cleaning up, was staring at her strangely.

"You saw?" she asked simply. "The bolt of lightning striking me?"

The Boy Wonder nodded.

"Right before they sent knock-out gas through the air tube," he replied quietly. Then, as if to explain his strange look, added, "I thought you…well…"

"Died?" Athene finished. Robin nodded, then looked away. "Fortunately, I didn't." She began to explain how Red X had been the one close to dying, then stopped. She didn't want to have to tell Robin that she had been prepared to kill him instead of Red X. Instead, she commented, uncomfortably, "Anyway…nice work here."

Robin nodded, then seemed to shake off his previous awkwardness. Straightening, he adjusted his mask and looked at Red X.

"You'll have to tell me later how you can get always out of this kind of mess," he told the thief pointedly. Red X merely narrowed his eyes.

"You'll have to tell me how you got us into this one," he replied curtly. While Athene and Robin had been talking, Red X had been looking between the two of them, sensing something more then simple are-you-ok's. Now the youth drew out a sharp-bladed x and began tossing it from hand to hand. "So, what's your big plan, Boy Blunder?"

Ignoring the insult, Robin looked at Athene.

"Did you learn anything extra about this place that I should know?"

The girl nodded.

"Some of the guards have powers," she told him. "And one of them can shapeshift and take on a person's powers. He's tied up in the White Tower in the next room. It's not just Aphrodite pulling the strings, either. The Ice Guy, called Frostbite, is co-accomplice, and apparently some kind of teleporter named Jumper. Also, Silver might be here somewhere."

"Aphrodite and Frostbite got rid of her," Red X contradicted. When Robin and Athene looked at him, taken aback, the thief added, "She's not dead, just back in jail."

"So we're facing a building full of powered-up soldiers led by three leaders, the strongest of them all," Robin clarified. "We need to find and free the rest of the Titans, then let the authorities know that this group is here. The police can take Aphrodite, Frostbite, and Jumper into custody."

At this, Red X and Athene traded skeptical glances. Robin, pacing and looking at the ground, didn't notice.

"Since they already know we're here," the Boy Wonder continued, "we've lost the element of surprise, and attacking them would be useless. Our priority right now should be to find the rest of the Titans. Once we release them, we can leave and contact the police. Whatever this group is doing here, it isn't legal."

"What about getting Aphrodite, Frostbite, and Jumper?" Athene asked impatiently. "If we leave here without arresting them first, they'll escape."

Robin shook his head firmly.

"Our priority is to free the rest the Titans," he replied. "There's always time to get the trio later once the rest of the team is out."

Angrily, Athene opened her mouth to give a sharp retort, but stopped when Red X shook his head minutely. He knew that it wasn't the time to argue with the Titan leader. As for taking revenge on Aphrodite and Frostbite…well, they didn't have to disclose their true motivations to Robin. If need be, they could always deviate from the superhero's plan later to achieve their own goal.

Suddenly, Robin's head whipped around towards the doorway. Seeing this, Athene and Red X followed his gaze, and heard the faint sound of footsteps. Many footsteps.

"Looks like they sent the welcoming party," Red X commented. The three of them dashed to the doorway and out of the room. The sound of footsteps was coming from all the way at the other end of the hallway, in the barely visible white room.

Without speaking, the three teens strode down the hallway, towards the sound of approaching people. They all knew that if they had to stage a fight, a narrow corridor such as the one they were located in was the worst possible place to be. As they neared the end of the corridor, it became apparent that it led to another, much larger room, laid in white tile. The circular room contained six identical, evenly-spaced doorways leading to six different hallways. The room itself rose three stories high, the edges of each floor rimmed with smooth white rails that overlooked the center of the room, and stopped at a curved, perfectly clear glass dome ceiling.

As she stepped into the magnificent room with the two youths, Athene noted the architectural similarities to the White Tower and the haunted house where the Titans had disappeared. The clean white look, akin to Greek marble like that of the Parthenon, seemed to be Aphrodite's favorite.

Unfortunately, her attention was diverted by the ever-approaching sound of footsteps, which was growing louder and seemed to be coming from all five of the other hallways. The noise echoed in the circular room, bouncing off the smooth tiled walls and against the glass dome ceiling. As it neared a crescendo, the three teens looked at each other.

"We have to fight," Robin stated unnecessarily, his voice resolute. "We don't know which hallway the Titans are in, and we can't find them until we beat whoever's coming out of those hallways. So are you with me?"

Red X and Athene looked at each other, then at the Boy Wonder. In the five other hallways, they could see groups of the uniformed black-clothed guards marching closer. The three of them were heavily outnumbered at least 15 to 1, and they had no idea what to expect from their opponents.

A small, dangerous smile stole over Athene's features. _This_ was what she'd been itching for for months.

"We're with you," she told Robin steadily. Red X nodded, seconding this.

"Just don't expect a team high-five." They all turned to face the room, wordlessly falling into a triangle position – Robin in front, with Red X and Athene on the sides. And as the uniformed guards began filing into the room, wearing indomitable expressions, Red X added, "And don't you dare say that team shout."

At that, Robin almost smiled.

"I'll leave that to you," he told Athene, whose face had gone completely emotionless and blank with focus and determination. As they all crouched down, waiting for the enemy to make the first move, the girl whispered a single phrase:

"Let's do this."


	51. Truth and Betrayal

**A/N:** Heh, so I think it's becoming somewhat of a habit to write one chapter per month. I know that seems like a ridiculously long time, but I'm getting more and more busy as the school year goes on. Of course, I'll try to write more and squeeze in more chapters, especially since the end of the story is almost visible.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

The three of them met the wall of guards with a silent clash. Athene, caught up in the thrill of the attack, completely forgot about her two comrades as her fist plowed into the nearest guard's jaw. But although she had struck with enough force to normally knock a man his size out cold, the guard merely stumbled backwards, gained his balance, then threw himself forwards once again. In retaliation, Athene drove her other fist into his diaphragm to knock the wind out of him, then quickly followed it up with another punch to the same spot on his jaw.

This time, the man went down and stayed down.

Still, as Athene threw a kick into another guard's face and a roundhouse into another's jaw, she noticed that attacks that usually were enough to bring down an opponent didn't seem to be strong enough against these guards. Moreover, the guards seemed to be slightly faster than regular men, and stronger – as she found out when a punch collided with her side a second later.

"Team!" That was Robin's voice, pitched to rise above any other noises – not that there were any, since the fight was devoid of any yelling. The guards, and the three teens, were relatively quiet, except for the occasional curse, grunt, or cry of pain. Athene, in the middle of throwing a man from a complex wrist move, decided not to mention to the Boy Wonder that they weren't a team – at least, not the one he was used to.

"They're metahumans!" The Boy Wonder yelled. "They've got inhuman speed, strength, and endurance!" Athene didn't have time to look over and see what he was doing, but judging from the grunts of pain from his direction, he was bringing quite a few adversaries down.

Red X seemed to be handling himself fine. At least, he was doing well enough to shout back, "Well, thanks for letting us know!" in a sarcastic tone without losing a beat in his own fight.

But Robin's announcement that they were fighting metahumans, or 'metas', was enough to make Athene's skin prickle with apprehension. It was true that the guards were faster, stronger, and tougher than any other human men she'd ever faced. And with their advantage of superpowers, and her disadvantage of fatigue from the lightning bolt before, it was all the girl could do to keep up and keep herself from being beaten.

This was confirmed a second later, when Athene felt a sudden hard blow glance off the left side of her head. She reeled backwards, her head aching dully, then pulled a small round gadget from her belt and threw it in front of her. The device exploded. As the three closest guards flew backwards from the shock, the girl knocked the legs out from another.

"Athene! Behind you!"

Whirling around, Athene barely dodged a punch. Quickly recovering, she delivered her own uppercut. Her opponent, however, seized her arm in a vice-like grip and snapped his leg out at her torso. Although Athene attempted to roll with the blow and avoid most of the impact, the guard's hard-edged shoe drove into her diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her.

Gasping for air, Athene fell to her knees. With her peripheral vision, she could dimly see the guard draw his fist back for one more strike.

Before the guard's fist could cleave air, however, there was a rustling noise, followed by a loud thump, then a crack as Red X leapt over Athene's head, then threw a punch that bruised the guard's jaw the first time and broke it on the second. The guard dropped to the ground.

"Athene?"

Red X's mechanized voice, strained from effort, was devoid of any emotion as he continued to drive guards away from the both of them. Still, Athene knew that he was only trying to avoid showing too much concern for her. If he worried about her, she was only a liability to the mission.

Athene took a few more deep breaths as she steadied herself on her knees.

"_Athene?_"

This time, worry edged into the thief's voice. But even as he spared a glance in her direction, Athene was climbing to her feet, hurling two more explosive gadgets.

"I'm fine."

She knew that Red X knew that she wasn't. He stayed by her, and they assumed a back-to-back position as they ploughed through the crowd of uniformed guards. Robin was lost from view, but with the two teens fighting side-by-side, defending each other, they never let up.

That wasn't to say that Athene didn't get injured. Red X couldn't make up for her fatigue, nor prevent every blow from reaching her. Slowly, the girl accumulated a list of minor injuries: a black eye, a split lip, and bruises on her arms and legs. Despite that, she stayed standing.

It seemed like hours until the number of guards visibly dwindled. By the time Athene caught a glimpse of Robin nearby, and realized that there were less than fifteen guards left, the remaining ones seemed to disengage from the fight and melt back into the corridors. When the last ones had disappeared from the room, they left three weary teenagers standing in the middle of the room, breathing heavily from exertion.

"Tired already?"

The three reacted to the voice immediately. They spun around towards the source – a blond-haired, gray-eyed young man wearing a dark guard uniform underneath a black leather jacket. He stood behind the first-story railing, arms casually crossed.

"_Frostbite._"

Athene's voice was almost a hiss as she recognized Roger's killer. In seconds, she'd thrown an explosive device in the youth's direction. Yet when the round object exploded, its target was gone.

"Missed."

This time, Frostbite's voice came from the opposite direction, on the third floor. Eyes widening – he didn't have another power, did he? – Athene suddenly saw a shift of color and caught sight of another person standing directly behind Frostbite. She instantly realized that it was the teleporter, Jumper, who was teleporting Frostbite – and himself – around the room. As long as Jumper had direct contact with Frostbite, anything Athene, Red X, or Robin threw at them would never hit its mark.

Fighting the urge to swear, the girl threw a handful of gas pellets in Frostbite and Jumper's direction in frustration. However, she knew the second the pellets left her hand that by the time they were halfway towards Frostbite and Jumper, her targets would be gone. When her suspicions came true and her gas pellets did meet empty air, Athene swore.

"Huh." Frostbite's drawling voice came from the fifth floor balcony. "Lacy never said you swear like a sailor, Julia." Lunging forward, Red X grabbed Athene's arm before she could throw anything else at her enemy. However, they were both unprepared for what Frostbite said next.

"Too bad she never got to see how much you cried like a baby when your fake brother died. Would've been amusing to her."

This time, both Robin and Red X seized Athene's arms. The girl was shaking from rage as she glared wrathfully up at the curly-haired boy, who was nonchalantly picking nonexistent lint from his sleeve.

Still, they couldn't stop expletives from pouring out of the girl's mouth.

"You lying _asshole_. How do you know-"

"-about your so-called secret identity?" Frostbite finished. "Darlin', I'm not the one you should be asking. Ask _him_."

Athene and Red X both froze as they stared at the person Frostbite had pointed to: Robin. The Boy Wonder was suddenly looking wary. Athene, for her part, looked confused.

"What? Robin didn't – Robin wouldn't –"

"Sell you out?" Frostbite completed. "Why? Because he's such a good, _loyal_ friend? Like you?"

At this, Athene flinched. Robin had dropped her arm and taken a step back. When the girl turned to look at him again, now looking dismayed, the Titan leader shook his head.

"I didn't sell you out, Julia."

Frostbite let out a snort of derision.

"Bullshit. When we contacted him just days ago, he told us _everything_: about your real name, how the Titans found you, what you'd done all these months…" Slowly, Athene face went from hurt to fury. "And you know why he calls you 'Julia'? 'Cause he doesn't want to admit that he's working with a _thief_."

"Let me guess," Red X interrupted. He, like Athene, was staring at Robin. Unlike her, his visage was masked, but undoubtedly his face mirrored her own look of livid anger. "You thought you were _above_ the rules? That double-crossing doesn't apply to you?"

"It was before I made the rules," Robin shot back. He'd taken another step back and was looking defensive. "It was right after Julia had escaped from the Tower, and I thought a government agency had contacted me to look for information about a known criminal-"

Athene let out a derisive, bitter laugh.

"That's so typical of you, _Boy Wonder_," she retorted. "Make up rules for other people, but don't play by them. Pretend to live by a code of ethics, then break them as soon as you can."

"He's not the only one," Frostbite commented.

"Shut up," all three teens on the ground snapped in unison. The blond boy raised his eyebrows at their forceful reply.

"Don't you want to know who else did some betraying?"

At this, the three teens fell silent as they glared up at the youth, almost half-afraid to hear his revelation. When he saw this, Frostbite smirked.

"Didn't you wonder how the Boy Wonder found out about your criminal identity, Julia?" he asked offhandedly. "He didn't just come up with it on the spot. He had help."

"What are you talking-"

"Red X," Frostbite said simply.

This time, the masked thief was the target of the stunned stares.

"He's lying," the youth stated firmly. For the first time, he didn't have a witty comment to bail him out. Looking at Athene, the thief tightened his grip on her arm reassuringly. "Julia, I never-"

"You never slipped in hints to Robin that there was more to Athene than he thought?" Frostbite asked derisively. "Jeez. And you called _me_ the liar."

"Shut the hell up," Red X snapped. He looked back at Athene, who was staring at him disbelievingly. "Look, Athene, Robin wasn't supposed to attack you like that when he found out."

"No," Robin interrupted accusingly, "I was supposed to discover the truth, then kick her out so she could come back to you. Were you getting lonely stealing by yourself, or were you jealous that Julia had fit in with the Titans? And you didn't even know that Julia was made a Titan."

Red X made a convulsive move towards the Boy Wonder, as if barely holding himself back from attacking the other youth. Athene, meanwhile, had ripped her arm from the thief's grip and had taken a few steps away from him, looking infuriated. All three teens were standing apart, glaring daggers at each other. It was a mark of how the truth could show the worst side of people that what had once been a rescue team of loose allies and friends had turned on each other in the blink of an eye.

Frostbite, however, was loving every minute of it.

"Well, kids," he remarked, holding up his hands (which were starting to be covered in ice), "I'd love to let this go on until all of you attack each other, but unfortunately…" the youth gave a small nod, and Jumper suddenly teleported the two of them into the middle of the loose triangle, right in front of Robin "…I'm running out of time."

And just as suddenly as he'd appeared, Frostbite slammed his ice-coated fist straight over Robin's heart – then disappeared.

* * *

"ROBIN!"

Athene's own heart leapt into her throat as she saw Robin, his face frozen in shock, fall to his knees, then collapse face-first onto the ground. All previous anger forgotten, the girl rushed towards the Boy Wonder, feeling as if she were moving in slow motion. When she reached his side, she knelt, then turned him over with a heart-wrenching feeling of déjà vu. She'd been in this position far too many times.

_Please don't let him be dead. Not like this. Not like Roger._

There was no sign of blood on Robin's uniform, though the area where Frostbite had struck him was covered in ice and completely cold to the touch. The youth, masked eyes wide and blank, was completely still. Athene lowered her cheek over the Boy Wonder's slightly open mouth, and was horrified to feel no breath. Grabbing his wrist, she felt for a pulse – and found none. She held two fingers to his carotid artery on his neck – no heartbeat.

Frustrated and alarmed, Athene desperately tried to remember her limited knowledge of first aid. Dimly, she could sense Red X standing behind her.

"His heart isn't beating." Her voice came out sounding choked. "Frostbite must've stopped his heart somehow. But I don't-"

"If it doesn't start again, he'll get a heart attack and die," Red X cut in. "Even if you do manage to get him to a hospital and revive him, he'll have brain damage. Whatever you want to do – if you want to do it – you have to do it soon."

_If you want to do it_.

Head aching, Athene closed her eyes and tried to focus. Of course she had to try saving Robin. Despite the fact that he'd betrayed her, fought her, been against her, he was a friend and ally. She didn't love the Boy Wonder, but she didn't want him dead and on her conscience. Besides, if he died, she'd never get to pay him back for everything he'd done – both the good, and the bad.

But restarting a heart…

"Footsteps." Red X turned his head in the direction of one of the hallways. "More guards are coming. What do you want to do?"

Athene could feel her temples throbbing and her breathing become quicker, more anxious. An idea had just formed in her mind, but it was both intriguing and frightening to her.

"We have to get him back to the White Tower," she replied firmly. "I'm going to use a bolt of lightning to shock Robin's heart back into life."

* * *

**A/N:** Bum, _bum_, BUM! Couldn't resist leaving another cliffhanger there at the end.

By the way, I created a poll about this story. It's posted on my profile, and the poll basically asks: who do you want to die in the story? I might even take the votes into consideration and change what's going to happen in the end. You never know. So, vote please!


	52. The Same Place Twice

**A/N:** I think it's becoming a bad habit to post a chapter every month. Fortunately, school is about to end, and I'll have more time to write. I'm so close to the end. I might've mentioned before that I have a short story that takes place right after this story ends. I've been debating over whether to post it now or not, and I decided to wait until this story ends. At least it's something to look forward to - after "A Good Thief" ends, there's still more!

Anyway, read and enjoy (and review)!

* * *

"_I'm going to use a bolt of lightning to shock Robin's heart back into life."_

For a second, a tense silence hung in the air. Red X was completely still as he stared at Athene. Then-

"No way."

Athene stared back at him.

"What?"

"You are _not_ getting struck by lightning just to save his heart." When Athene looked troubled, the thief continued, "You're a _thief_. He's a _superhero_. You don't need to sacrifice your life for his."

At this, Athene looked down at Robin. She was propping his head up on her knee, keeping it above the ground. He had betrayed her, it was true, but he had been a friend to her for some time, even a close friend. She had saved his life once, and he had returned the favor by fighting alongside her. All the meals that they'd once shared, the sparring sessions, the conversations…they couldn't be wiped away so quickly.

The girl looked back up at Red X.

"I know Athene wouldn't sacrifice her life for a superhero." Lifting one hand, she removed her mask. "But Julia would sacrifice her life for a friend."

Apparently, there was nothing Red X would say to that. For the first time, Julia wished she could see his face, and read how he was reacting to this. Was he jealous? Angry? Sad? Whatever he thought, his next few words were uttered in complete monotone.

"Fine." When Julia began to stand up to lift Robin's shoulders up from the ground, Red X stopped her, his tone noticeably different. "But I'm helping. You're not doing this alone."

* * *

Between Red X lifting Robin fireman-style – over his shoulder – and Julia bringing up the rear and sweeping the area with her laser, the two made their way back down the hallway and through the empty doorway to the White Tower. As they did, the ever-ringing sound of footsteps followed them, although they never saw another guard.

Once they were inside the White Tower, Julia – with some exertion – propped the metal door back up against the doorway. Once the door was more or less back in the same position, Julia took a few steps back to admire her handiwork-

-and halted at the feeling of a cold metal barrel against the back of her head.

"Don't move."

It was Damien's voice, and Julia froze in place, her chest tightening. This was it – what she'd been half expecting, half fearing, ever since Frostbite had revealed the black links of treachery between the three of them. She couldn't stand it again – another betrayal, especially not by Damien. Not again.

"I could say the same thing to you."

Strangely enough, that was Red X's voice, mechanized and low with a threat. Confused, Julia turned her head a fraction to the right, and saw the bizarre situation more clearly. Red X, unable to act quickly with Robin over his shoulder, was holding a fistful of sharp red x's. He was pointing them at _Damien_, who was wearing the black uniform of the guard and holding a slim metal gun-like weapon at Julia's head.

With a rush of understanding, Julia turned her body slightly to better face her opponent, who was watching Red X warily. It wasn't Damien who was threatening her at the moment; it was the shapeshifter that they had tied up before, but who had kept Damien's appearance. Apparently, he'd freed himself, and decided to stop the two.

"We outnumber you two to one," Red X continued, keeping the guard's eyes on him, "and frankly? You have no idea what we can do." It was as good of a cue as anything.

Moving swiftly, Julia dodged to the side and seized the shapeshifter's wrist, twisting it and pointing the weapon away from her as she swung her leg up. Her foot collided with her adversary's jaw, driving it upwards with enough force to knock him backwards. The weapon fired off uselessly, burning a fist-sized burn mark on the opposite white-tiled wall. The guard fell backwards, out of Julia's grasp, then hit the ground, unconscious.

Red X lowered Robin to the ground, then strode over to Julia, who was busily tying up the shapeshifter.

"Nice work," he commented. "Especially since-"

"-since he looked exactly like you?" the girl finished, getting to her feet. "And since we know that we've really been betraying each other the entire time?" When Red X looked away, Julia walked over to the raised metal platform and climbed up on it, pulling off her shoes and dropping them to the ground so that she was barefoot. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we do this, the better the chances that Robin won't have brain damage or something."

As Red X wordlessly pushed the button to open the ceiling and extend the lightning rod, Julia wished that she could be as confident as she sounded. The first time being struck by lightning had been painful – no, not just painful, _agony_. She didn't want to think about what the second time would be like, especially when she didn't use the transmuters.

Settling into a square stance, Julia closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the lightning plunging down, and she didn't want to see what Red X would do. If she did, she might change her mind. She knew that what she was doing was probably killing Damien inside. The only thing she didn't get was why he was letting her do it. In a way, she was half-hoping that he would pull her back down to the ground and refuse for her to go through all of this. Maybe he-

The lightning struck.

It was just as torturous as before, but both better and worse. Better because her body knew what to expect – worse because it was in just as much anguish, even more. She was more vulnerable to the second strike, but it numbed her somewhat. Whereas the first had every cell in her body shrieking in pain, the second had her body beyond pain and to the point of a lack of feeling.

The lightning screamed through her, filling her to the brim and pushing the limits of her mortal body. This time, it had no outlet to escape, and so doubled back until it ricocheted inside her, tangling within itself. It gripped her, forcing her to her knees with her hair streaming, her eyes blazing, her hands clenched around the rim of the platform and crackling with energy that was building up to a breaking point.

She could sense when it was about to burst out. All she had was a few pulses, and she lifted both hands towards the sky so that when the lightning did explode from her, it was channeled back into the clouds, a thick stream of yellow cracking light too brilliant to look at for more than a millisecond.

When the extra lightning – whatever was too much to be contained in her body – had finally fizzled away, she was left with a twisted mass of electricity vibrating through her, eager to be used. Lightning was a transitory thing, a force born from a charge too strong to be kept in one spot.

Because of this, it was not meant to be restricted in metal, however resilient the metal was. The lightning rod and platform had borne too much energy. It was made to transfer lightning to one spot and be done with it, but with no transmuters, the metal was forced to hold some of the lightning. Within a few seconds, it was glowing red, and within a minute, it was melting and dragging towards the ground. As the platform collapsed, Julia fell sideways – straight into Red X's arms. He caught her deftly, holding her behind her back and knees like a child. Spare lightning raced up and down Julia's body and skipped over to X's costume, but the thief didn't even twitch. All he had eyes for was the barely-conscious girl he held in his arms.

Finally, after a long moment, Julia's eyes fluttered open. Strangely enough, Red X could see small sparks flickering behind her eyes, casting small flashes of light, yet staying almost out of sight. It took another moment until the girl's eyes became focused, and another until she realized what kind of position she was in. Noticing this, Julia pushed against Red X's chest with one lightning-filled hand-

-and was startled when the thief stumbled back a few steps, mini lightning bolts crackling over the spot on his costume where the girl had pressed. His hold on Julia, however, was just as firm as before. When the youth regained his balance, he looked down at Julia.

"Extra strength?"

"It's the lightning." Julia's face was pale, and her voice hoarse, as she swung her legs down so that her feet were on the ground. "It must be giving me more force." When she attempted to stand unsteadily, Red X lifted her left arm and wrapped it around his shoulder so that she could hold on. Julia flashed him a quick, grateful smile. Then she looked down at Robin. "Damien…"

"I know, I know." Sounding slightly disgruntled, the thief steadied the girl as she walked over to the Boy Wonder. With each step, she seemed to regain her strength, as if the lightning had given her the energy she had previously lacked. While Red X remained standing, Julia knelt down by the superhero's side, clenching and unclenching her fists nervously. Then, as an afterthought, she looked up at Red X.

"How should I start?"

Giving a faint sigh, the thief knelt down next to her.

"You need to have direct contact," he instructed, watching as Julia undid the front of Robin's tunic. "Place one hand below his clavicle, the other to the left of his diaphragm." As the girl placed her right hand below the right side of Robin's collarbone, and her left hand below and to the left of his heart, Red X continued, "All you need is a slightly electrical pulse, just enough to restart the heart. If I knew how you measure your power, I'd give you a number, but…"

Julia smiled weakly in an attempt to lighten the tension. The full gravity of the situation was slowly dawning on her, making her stomach tighten. If she succeeded, Robin would forever be in her debt. If she failed…well, she didn't want to think about that, or of all the people who would be after her: the Titans, whoever Robin's parents were, the Batman…

At this, the girl felt her head spin. Even if her body was humming with energy, her nerves were on edge and about to break.

"Julia?" Red X knelt down next to her and placed his hands over her shaking ones, framing the Boy Wonder's heart. "You don't need to do this. You don't need to prove anything." He was being uncharacteristically wordy in his thief suit. Usually, he saved it for when he was in his civilian wear. It was proof of how worried he was that he had broken out of his habit.

Despite her friend's concern, Julia just shook her head.

"I'm not proving anything," she protested, but her words sounded unconvincing. She knew that somewhere inside of her, a part of her believed that if she pulled all of this off – if all of them survived this, and won – things could go back to normal, and there would be no ill consequences.

Even if Red X doubted her, he didn't show it. Giving her hands a reassuring squeeze, he stood up and took a step back to give her some space.

Opening her mind, Julia summoned a trickle of her powers. Eager to be used, it rushed to do her bidding. It took a moment and some willpower to control the electricity, but a second later, a few strands of electricity were ready to be used. The girl kept her eyes opened. She wanted to face this up front, and refused to deny the truth.

_Powers above, please don't let me fail. And if Beast Boy is right and there really is a Batgod, now would be a good time to help me._

Taking a deep breath, Julia shoved the lightning through her hands, and into Robin's chest.


	53. Death, Fire, and Lightning

**A/N:** Soooo...I haven't posted in quite awhile. Sorry for the delay. I've been busy taking a summer college course, so I haven't had enough time to write much. Still, as soon as I finished with the program I stayed up late finishing the chapter (which, as you might notice, is significantly longer than my chapters usually are). That being said, on with the suspenseful chapter!

* * *

Julia watched as the lightning spread from her fingers, then plunged into Robin's heart. Contrary to the movies and TV shows that she'd seen, the Boy Wonder's body didn't convulse or even visibly move. Instead, the thin layer of ice that covered his chest melted and trickled away, and Julia and Red X were forced to simply wait and watch, with baited breath, for what would happen. The girl had placed her hand against Robin's throat, her index and middle fingers firm against his still carotid artery. If only it would twitch, even just once…

_Oh god. Please work._

For a long moment, Julia held her breath, her chest tight. What if it didn't work? What if her lightning had caused Robin to die faster? It wasn't right, so much power over life and death in one person's hands. It was like the decision that she'd had to make earlier, between Red X and Robin. But this time, she wasn't so sure that someone _would_ end up living…

A pulse.

Julia inhaled sharply. Unintentionally, her two fingers pressed down harder on the boy's throat, as if to better feel another sign, more proof that the unthinkable was happening. Alerted by her gasp, Red X took a step closer.

Another pulse.

When two frustratingly long seconds passed by without another beat, Julia leaned forward. If that electrical shock didn't work, she had to use the old fashioned method of CPR. One hand went to pinch Robin's nose shut, the other to tug his chin down and his mouth open. Red X saw where this was going and took a step forward.

"Julia…"

"Shush."

Ignoring the thief, Julia bent forward. A deep breath, and her mouth was covering Robin's, pushing air into the unconscious youth's lungs. From the corner of her eye, she saw his chest rise and fall, and she continued again. A few more breaths later, and she leaned back, her own chest rising and falling from part exertion and part nerves. She was kneeling next to her friend, legs sprawled haphazardly over the white-tiled ground as she tilted her head back wearily. Never had she felt so desperate in her life.

"Julia…"

"X, no." Julia closed her eyes tiredly. "Just - stop."

"He's breathing."

Her eyes flew open. Sure enough, Robin's chest was rising and falling, albeit slowly. Julia's hand flew to the superhero's neck. To her relief, his pulse was once again beating steadily. A few more miraculous pulses, and the Boy Wonder's eyes opened. He looked around, taking in his surroundings, then saw Julia leaning over him worriedly.

"Lightning to repolarize my heart?" That Robin would speak so directly to the point – so soon after a normally fatal injury – was so much like him that Julia had to smile. "And CPR?" At this, Julia almost laughed, half-embarrassed.

"You really _are_ the Boy Wonder."

The superhero smiled weakly, then held out a hand to the girl, who took it.

"You really think _he_ didn't prepare me for something like that?"

Julia, in the process of pulling Robin up to a sitting position, was so startled that her grip loosened. Robin almost never mentioned Batman, especially to her. When the two teens' grasp slipped, Julia tightened their grip and hauled the youth up more hastily. The result was that Robin was pulled up too quickly and ended up inches away from the girl, their clasped hands between them.

This close to Robin, Julia could see how tired he really was – how much older he looked from his age. You couldn't really describe him as a boy, but more like a young man, mature years beyond his age. What did he have to go through that made him so grim and experienced, ready to do things through means that no teenager should ever be prepared to do? Had he ever experienced one day in a normal teen's life, with school, love, and fun? Julia couldn't believe she'd missed this side to him before.

"Hey." Robin squeezed her hand, and Julia was suddenly reminded of that night when she'd flirted with the youth while trading blows. "Thank you."

The girl met his eyes and smiled back, not knowing that her eyes were tinged with sadness.

"Robin-"

"Julia-"

The second voice spoken in unison with the girl was not from Robin, but from Red X. The thief was shaking the girl's shoulder urgently. When Julia turned her head, she breathed in a sudden waft of smoke that had her coughing violently.

There was a fire in the room.

"Julia?"

In a trice, Red X was helping the girl up as Robin got to his feet. As the thief worried over Julia, the superhero turned to survey the disaster. In the center of the room, a fire was steadily burning, scorching the pure white tiles with black soot marks. In the middle, the red-hot glow of the melted metal of the once-circular platform could barely be seen. Apparently, after liquefying, the smoldering metal had lit the ground ablaze without them noticing.

"MmmrhggrhMM!"

The three of them whipped around to see the shapeshifting guard – still in Damien's appearance – struggling against his bonds and shouting against his gag. He was attempting to crawl, without the use of his arms or legs, back towards the door, behind which they could hear the sound of boots once again.

"So." Red X looked at the two other teens. "Keep 'im or drop 'im?"

"Who is he?" Robin asked. He was tying up his tunic swiftly while squinting through the thin haze of smoke filling the room. "I didn't see him before."

"Just another guard," Julia replied hurriedly, trying not to look at the superhero's attempts to salvage his roughly-undone tunic. "He's a shapeshifter, can take on powers by touch." Turning her head slightly, she threw Red X a quick look. If neither of them hinted at it, Robin might never find out that the shapeshifter's appearance was the same as the very thief standing next to him.

Red X, however, chose not to push their luck and remained silent. Luckily, Robin didn't press the issue.

"Well, we can't leave him here," the Boy Wonder remarked, glancing back at the smoldering fire in the center of the room. . "He'll either suffocate or burn." Seeing the smoke spreading rapidly, he unpocketed a breathing filter and hooked it over his nose and mouth.

"We can't just release him, either," Julia replied firmly. She, too, put on a breathing filter, muffling her voice. "Do you really want to release him, just to have him turn around and fight us with the rest of the guards?"

It wasn't her only reason. Ever since the shapeshifter had taken on Damien's appearance, it had unnerved the girl constantly. She could never get used to having to fight someone looking like Damien, while working with Red X at the same time. She could just imagine Damien/Red X's predicament with Julia and Athene, and how hard it was to keep them apart.

When Robin just frowned at her, clearly trying to find a solution, the girl produced her own. "What if we released him, but made sure that he was tied up tightly?" she suggested. "It would at least buy us some time, since the guards wouldn't shoot their own, and it would take him some time to get himself loose." It was a gamble, she knew, since the guards could well believe that the shapeshifter was Damien, not one of their own. But Robin didn't know that, and what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. Theoretically.

Robin didn't look pleased, but didn't protest. They were running out of time, after all.

"All right," he said finally. "We'll release him bound. After that, we'll have at least a few seconds to escape." He looked up at the white-tiled ceiling. "If we ascend to the top and blast our way out, we can circle around to release the rest of the Titans."

"So, basically avoid hurting as many guards as possible?" Red X questioned sardonically. Both he and Julia looked at Robin mulishly, by stance and expression.

"We should take as many out as possible," Julia told Robin stubbornly. "The more we knock out now, the fewer we have to face later."

"We're not here to wipe out this place!" Robin snapped, rapidly losing his patience. It was clear that he was far more used to having his allies follow his orders without question. "We're here to rescue the Titans!"

"That doesn't mean we can't take as many out as we can!" Julia retorted. She, like Red X, was there for a completely different motive: revenge. As for the Titans…she _did_ want them to be safe, but she didn't want to leave the place without some vengeance carried out.

"There's two of us, and one of you." Red X's voice was flat, unyielding. "If you want to rescue the Titans, you'll need both of us."

For a split second, Robin looked at the two teens, his emotions completely hidden behind his eyes and mask. By this time, Robin's Rules were clearly out of the question. During the planning phase, the Rules were ideal. In the middle of battle, however, everything changed. And with the emotionally tumultuous events that had happened in the last few hours, the loyalty of the two other teens was less than certain.

"All right," Robin said finally. "Here's what we'll do…"

* * *

It was the work of a few moments for the superhero to explain his strategy to the two others, who accepted it readily.

"This is based on the assumption that the guards will look directly at the shapeshifter," Robin explained, giving his equipment a last check-over. "If they don't….we still can't stay here too long, or the smoke will give us a visual disadvantage."

"What about you?" Red X leveled his gaze at the Boy Wonder. "Are you up to this?"

Robin nodded as he snapped open his bo staff and gave it an experimental twirl.

"Julia's lightning gave me some kind of energy boost," he replied. "Something to do with the electrical power. You have it too?" he added, glancing at Julia, who nodded back.

"It's like I drank a power drink or something," she shrugged, clenching and unclenching her lightning-laden fists. "And it gave me some kind of superstrength as well."

"Perfect." Robin nodded in satisfaction, then took a ready pose. He, like the other two, had caught sight of the glowing red laser that had started to steadily burn along the doorframe. As Julia took the ready pose behind and to the left of the Boy Wonder, Red X grabbed the bound shapeshifting guard and hauled him a few feet from the door. Taking a small red x device from his belt, the thief slapped it onto the guard's chest, then pressed the small red button in the center. As the laser burned through the rest of the doorframe, the button began to pulse brightly as the three teens waited, tense, for the inevitable to happen.

With a bang, the metal door fell into the room and onto the ground, right at Red X and the guard's feet. Before the guards outside the room could charge in, the thief used his foot to shove the shapeshifting guard through the doorframe just as the device on the guard's chest released a brilliant white light. As planned, the guards outside became blinded-

- right as they fired straight at the target in front of them.

"NO!"

As the charred body of the dead guard fell backwards onto the door on the floor, the Boy Wonder leapt forward, plan completely forgotten. In a flash, Red X and Julia had seized his arms and were struggling to hold him back as the youth fought to escape.

"Robin, calm down!" Julia dug her fingernails into the superhero's arm as she shouted into his ear, attempting to calm him down. "I know they shot him, but we can't change the plan! Not now! Not like this!"

Fortunately, the guards outside were too blinded by the temporary bright light to act. They staggered backwards, dropping their guns as they covered their eyes with their hands. Luckily, they seemed to be disabled for more than a few moments. In that time, Robin slowly calmed down, until he was no longer resisting the two teens.

"They _killed_ him," he murmured, jaw clenched. "They shot their own. _Here. _In _Jump City_."

"So suck it up," Red X retorted curtly. "We've got a plan to follow. Don't hold us up and ruin it."

When Robin opened his mouth to give a sharp reply, Julia put a firm hand on the Boy Wonder's shoulder, making him look at her. She had been shocked just as much by the shapeshifter's death as Robin was, but she knew enough to keep it at bay for the moment. It wasn't the right time to think about it.

"If you aren't ready to lead us, _I_ will."

Robin apparently had nothing to say to this. With a small shake of his head, he assumed the ready position at the front. Relieved, the two other teens positioned themselves behind him; the guards had begun to shake off the effects of the light and were beginning to reassemble themselves. Before they could completely recover, however, the three teens struck.

In the lead were Robin and Red X, swiftly disarming the guards before they knew what was happening. However, even without weapons the guards weren't easy to defeat; they still had the advantage of superhuman speed, strength, and endurance. Yet the two young men plowed through the mass of guards like twin scythes, each their own army as they created a path through the crowd. Interestingly enough, most of the two youth's moves were mirror images of each other.

Smiling slightly at this, Julia clenched her fists and began drawing on her lightning power, steadily charging electricity into her hands as they began to glow yellow. Once her hands had become incased in the cracking energy, the girl sprinted forward through the temporary path in the throng of guards, towards her two partners.

Outside the room, Robin and Red X had halted at the end of the hall and were continuing to battle the milling guards. Squeezing into the small space behind them, Julia placed her back against the wall and dredged up a few last strands of lightning. Then she raised both of her hands, palms outward, and took one last breath.

"NOW!"

On cue, Robin and Red X dropped as close to the ground as they could, leaving Julia to face the hall of endless rows of guards pressing in on the three of them. The guards closest to Julia saw her raised hands, but were unable to avoid what came next-

-which was an enormous shockwave of pure electricity bursting from the girl's hands. It caught the first row of guards in the chest and knocked them backwards, then continued racing forwards, felling every row of guards until the last. When the shockwave finally dissipated, it sizzled out in the air beyond the end of the hall, leaving a hallway of unconscious men sprawled on the ground.

Robin and Red X slowly got to their feet, surveying the damage.

"You didn't-"

Julia lowered her hands and gazed at the knocked-out guards. Taking a step forward, she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the two other teens as she and Robin removed their breathing filters. "No, I didn't kill them. I-"

Before the girl could finish her sentence, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and her surroundings disappeared. In the blink of an eye, she was no longer at the end of the hallway, but in a white-tiled room, three stories tall.

"-held back."

As the last words left her lips, Julia felt a chill run through her. She, Robin, and Red X were suddenly back in the circular room with the six doorways. Facing them were her three least favorite people at the moment: Aphrodite, Frostbite, and Jumper. And they were waiting.

"Oh, don't even bother holding out on _us_," Aphrodite sneered. Her eyes landed on Julia, who was standing straight across from her. "Just wait until you see what you're in for."

Raising her upturned hands, the girl smiled sweetly as her hands began to glow a fiery red. The glow began streaming away onto the ground, then began to take shape. A second later, a six-foot tall scarlet hydra had formed, complete with one dragon body branching off to five long necks and five heads armed with razor-sharp teeth.

Frostbite, for his part, was covering his entire arms with ice a few inches thick.

"Good to see you back on your feet, Robin," the grey-eyed youth commented, smirking as he looked over the three of them. "Especially _alive_. It makes it more fun to kill you again."

At the end of the line, Jumper was watching Red X. Julia had never noticed it before, but the teleporter had flat dark eyes, which were constantly darting from spot to spot, observing and analyzing each spot to teleport to.

"Is it true the only way you've been able to escape is your teleportation?" the youth asked impassively. "You're gonna need more than that to survive."

From the edge of her vision, Julia saw that Red X and Robin were both assuming ready positions, just as she was. Crouching down, the three of them raised clenched fists, looking grim. This fight would not be like fighting the guards.

"I'll take the blond," Julia murmured, sizing the towering hydra up and down. She would rather fight Frostbite directly, but she had a score to settle with Aphrodite.

The other two didn't reply, but she knew that they had already figured out who to fight. The Boy Wonder had plenty of experience in fighting powered villains before, and owed Frostbite for nearly killing him. Red X's teleporting technology from his belt suited him best with Jumper, and could keep him from diving into the others' battles.

The young villains, it seemed, had already agreed with the format. They faced the three partners, stranding in a straight line twenty feet away. Unlike the protagonists, however, they seemed to anticipate the fight with almost amused expressions. Clearly, they had a good idea who would win.

Incensed by this, Julia extended one hand, palm up, towards Aphrodite. Beckoning towards the blonde girl in a challenging manner, she narrowed her eyes.

"Let's do this."

"Elite, CHARGE!"

"Titans, GO!"

It wasn't the war cry that Julia would normally fight under, but that didn't matter at the moment. For that instant, Robin's shout filled her with adrenaline as she sprang forward, ready to battle with possibly her most hated enemy so far. Aphrodite's face was twisted into a snarl, her blue eyes glowing with a red light as she urged her monster to attack. Lightning instantly surged to Julia's hands, and she knew, without looking, that Robin and Red X were next to her, ready to fight beside her.

Just as it should be.

* * *

**A/N:** Haha, another cliffhanger! I couldn't resist. Based on my previous chapters, it was a little obvious that I wouldn't put the whole epic fight in this chapter. Nope. You have to wait until the next one.


	54. Frozen

**A/N:** Haha, back here after more than a month. Again. Sorry I keep taking so much time to write...I've been busy with the start of the school year and everything. Plus, it's weird because I know the story's coming to an end, so I might (subconsciously) be procrastinating because I don't really want it to end.

Well, here it goes!

* * *

As Julia dashed forward, the hydra rose to its full height, and the girl saw with dread that its body alone was six feet; add the height of the long necks and heads, and the monster became a total of ten feet tall.

The hydra wasted no time to start the fight as it assumed the role of offense. Its five heads darted through the air to strike down repeatedly, forcing Julia to run, dodge, and tumble over and over again. By the time five minutes had passed, she was panting from exertion, lightning-charged as she was.

But the third time Julia barely missed being bowled over by a hydra head the size of a trash can, she knew she had to finish the fight before she got tired. The problem was that if this hydra followed true Greek myth, then it would be difficult to kill. The monster had extra-hard scales, and was more powerful than the average large animal. Moreover, slicing off any one of its heads would only cause two new ones to grow back in place.

Still, she couldn't continue dodging it. If she became fatigued and was defeated, the hydra would turn on her companions. From what she saw out of the corners of her eyes, they didn't need any more distractions. Robin and Frostbite were alternatively fighting long distance or using hand-to-hand combat, the marks of their fight blasts of ice and small explosions. Red X and Jumper, on the other hand, were mere flickers of black and red disappearing and reappearing. Appearing at a completely random spot, they would spar for a few seconds, then vanish just to show up somewhere else.

_How did Heracles kill this thing?_ Julia wondered, doing a small roll to avoid yet another hydra head. _Oh yeah, he cut off all the heads, then held flaming torches over the stumps. _Then, as an afterthought, _At least Aphrodite didn't go with the original myth and create 9 heads._

It was a small consolation, but it was something. Julia didn't have an extra body to hold lightning over any of the necks of the heads she could cut off, and she didn't have the concentration to do that as well as dodge the rest of the heads. She'd have to come up with her own way of defeating it, then.

_Stand and fight_.

It was her instinct, and she trusted it. After performing a quick roll to avoid a diving hydra head, the girl sprang to her feet, pivoted, and slammed a lightning-covered fist into the side of the offending head. The location of her strike – the head's vulnerable temple – coupled with the fact that her lightning had lent her super strength, sent the head soaring through the air to smash into an adjacent head. To Julia's satisfaction, the two heads collapsed from the impact and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Despite this, Julia didn't have a lot of time to celebrate. Here came another hydra head, nostrils flaring in anger. But this time, the girl was supremely confident. As the head sliced through the air towards her, she did a one-handed cartwheel to the left, landed, then lashed out at the hydra with one fist. Hit in the jaw, the lifeless head skidded across the floor and remained unmoving.

The remaining three heads gave a shuddering roar. Underneath the sound, Julia could hear a high scream of rage – Aphrodite. For some reason, the knowledge that her enemy was frustrated gave life to Julia once again, along with inspiration. This monster, just like the Nemean Lion, was not infallible. They had weaknesses, and they could be beaten in ways that nobody else would consider.

With this in mind, Julia suddenly sprinted towards the hydra's body. Although the remaining three heads shot towards her, attempting to derail her, the girl merely rolled and flipped away, dodging them but continuing to move forward. And when she was close enough to stop the heads from attacking her because of the risk of hurting itself, Julia drew back her right fist, summoning lightning, and hurled a jagged bolt of lightning. The thick bolt cut through the air, striking the hydra at where its heart should've been-

-and the hydra exploded into red mist.

"Nooooo!"

Aphrodite's keening shriek rang through the air, and triumph surged through Julia. Suddenly, she knew with clear certainty that she was going to beat Aphrodite. Now. Right now.

Again Julia was running forward, this time with Aphrodite in her sights. The blond girl was screeching and swearing at the top of her voice, her old smug confidence completely gone. Her hands were in front of her, glowing red energy swirling and twisting into monsters that barraged Julia – large silver birds, a giant serpent with slippery coils, a snorting wild boar – but each burst into scarlet haze as Julia struck out at them with lightning-laced fists.

And then Julia was in front of Aphrodite – whose mascara-lined blue eyes were wide with panic – and though the blond girl raised a glowing red hand to stop her, Julia seized her wrist with an iron grip and shoved lightning through the both of them. Light flashed as electricity sizzled, and when Julia blinked and looked down, she was holding the dangling wrist of a limp Aphrodite crumpled on the ground.

* * *

"NO!"

Julia spun around to face Frostbite, but before she even caught a glimpse of him, a blast of ice knocked her off her feet and slammed her into the wall ten feet behind her. Winded from the impact, the girl could only gasp as Frostbite strode over to her, ice streaming from his fingertips and coating her torso, her arms, her legs. Somehow Robin was being held up, because by the time Julia could breathe again, ice was slowly creeping up her neck to cover her face.

She was going to be smothered by ice, of all things.

"Frostbite!" That was Robin's shout, but he didn't appear in her vision. Frostbite was the only thing she could see, his hands outstretched as he enveloped her ice.

"You'll never get out of there in time to rescue her and catch me at the same time." Frostbite was infuriatingly smug as he taunted Robin, not even bothering to look at the Boy Wonder. Instead, his eyes were on Julia as the ice spread over her mouth, freezing it in place, then covered her nose and eyes. Before long, the girl was completely frozen in place against the wall, ice coating her closed eyelids (if she left her eyes open, Julia had figured, her eyes would dry out from being frozen open in place).

Eyes and ears closed, Julia was completely ignorant of what was going on around her as she held her last breath. And with all her senses failing her, she had no idea that Red X had disappeared from the room minutes ago and had no idea of her predicament. She had no idea that Jumper had fled as soon as he'd seen that he could not defeat the thief. And she had no idea that the fire that had been started in the White Tower had already made its way to the room. Unfortunately, by the time the fire would have enough strength and heat to melt the ice covering her face, she would already be suffocated.

* * *

Frostbite's prediction was true. When Robin broke free of the ice that had frozen his legs and feet to the ground and his hands to each other, he did not pursue his opponent, who had carried Aphrodite out of the room. Instead, he ran over to Julia.

However, he wasn't the first to get there. Soundlessly, Red X appeared in the middle of the room, took a quick glance around at the situation, spotted the frozen Julia, then teleported again to appear in front of her, beating Robin by a second.

"Frostbite?" the thief asked grimly, removing a red x-shaped gadget from his belt. Robin, taking out his own circular device, nodded.

"He froze her and left with Aphrodite," the Boy Wonder replied. Without saying another word, the two youths fastened both gadgets to the four-inch thick ice, the x device over Julia's torso, and the round one near her knees. Each youth pressed the centers of their contraptions, then stepped back as they began to beep. Five seconds later, and both devices emitted a silent shockwave which caused miniscule cracks in the ice. A second later, another shockwave was produced, lengthening the cracks. After the fifth shockwave, the ice crumbled off of Julia and to the ground. The girl, eyes still closed, wavered for a second – then fell forwards. Red X efficiently caught her and slung one of her arms over his shoulder, supporting her.

"Is she-"

"Barely conscious," Red X said curtly in answer to Robin's unfinished question. "She needs to get her breath back." As the thief wrapped his arm around her waist to further support the girl, he looked up at Robin. "She nearly suffocated," he pointed out. Robin could've sworn that, even in his mechanized voice, the thief sounded accusing. "Where were you?"

Robin returned the glare (or what he thought Red X was sending him from underneath his mask).

"Where were _you_?" he shot back.

"Releasing us."

Robin whirled around towards the source of the familiar voice, and was stunned to see Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven entering the room from one of the hallways, Raven in the lead. "Red X found me in one of the rooms and freed me," Raven continued, as the rest of the Teen Titans made their way towards the two youths. "He left as I released the rest of the team."

"Robin!"

In a burst of happiness, Starfire flew past the others and over to the Boy Wonder, arms wide, and enveloped him in a hug. "I knew you would be rescuing us, Robin!"

"Uh, dude, I don't know if you've noticed, but Red X is standing right there," Beast Boy pointed out, eyeing the thief warily.

"You didn't catch him stealing-" Cyborg began, but was cut off by Starfire once more.

"And friend Julia is here as well!" the alien cried. She let go of Robin and began to hover closer to Julia, but stopped as Red X turned to look at her. Her beam faltering, Starfire turned to Robin hesitantly. "Robin? Why is the Red X here? With Julia?"

At that moment, Robin realized that the rest of the Titans, during their imprisonment, had missed one fact entirely: Julia was a thief. That fact, along with the reason for why Red X of all people was there, would take some explaining. And frankly, the Boy Wonder didn't have the time.

Luckily, he was spared the grief and complication of explaining everything by Julia's return to full consciousness. The girl's eyes opened blearily at first, then wide open as she saw the entire superhero team standing in front of her looking openly hostile towards Red X.

"What-"

"You were released from ice," Raven explained quietly, sparing Robin from the details. "We arrived shortly after." The empath looked at the Boy Wonder, her eyes sharp. "Who did this?"

"Frostbite," Julia breathed. Pushing away from Red X, she looked around wildly for the blond-haired youth. "Where did he go?"

"Wait – who's-?"

"That way." Robin pointed down one of the side hallways. "But you can't go after him," he added flatly, as Julia squinted at the corridor entrance. "Everyone's needed here." The Boy Wonder gestured around the room, which had steadily grown hotter. "If you haven't noticed, there's a fire in the room."

"So let's get outta here before we bake in a giant oven!" Beast Boy exclaimed, transforming into a hawk and flapping his wings to stay aloft. Cyborg, however, shook his head.

"Remember the unconscious guys we saw in the hallway?" the youth asked.

"We can't leave them here," Raven finished.

Robin nodded, decisive.

"We need to get them out of here. And since there's at least forty of them, we need everyone to help. And I mean, _everyone_," he added, giving Red X and Julia a pointed look. When they glared at him, he returned the glare. "No one's dying on my watch."

A few minutes later, the Titans were in full teamwork mode. Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, and a horse-form Beast Boy carried unconscious guards from the hallways where they'd been dumped, to the vertical black hole that Raven was keeping open to transport people outside. The empath herself was levitating the bodies through the hole, her eyes glowing from concentration. Julia and Red X, after grudgingly agreeing to help get the guards out, disappeared now and then to drag guards out of the hallways and into the main room. Eventually, the two stopped coming out. But since everyone else was busy with their own jobs and became increasingly stressed as the fires grew and spread, no one noticed their disappearance.

* * *

It was easy enough to slip away from the Titans. Julia and Damien met in the hallway where Frostbite had disappeared into. The first corridor to be consumed by fire, it was hot enough to cause the two teens to sweat after being there for just a minute.

"I'm going after Frostbite," Julia stated, her voice and eyes daring Damien to challenge her. The thief, however, didn't argue. Instead he nodded, taking her hand and squeezing it comfortingly.

"Good luck," Damien told her quietly. Then, when he released her hand, he added, "Kick his ass."

Julia grinned.

"I plan to." She glanced down the long hall, then back at Damien. "I'll meet you back in the center room?"

Damien nodded.

"I've got to take care of a few things," he said. "But I'll be waiting there for you."

Feeling reassured, Julia began running down the hallway, straight towards the heart of the fire. When she glanced back over her shoulder, she saw that Damien was standing there, watching her. After that, Julia didn't look back.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, glorious ass-kicking fight comes next.


	55. Final Fight

**A/N:** So, back after a month with the awaited chapter! (Yes, I know it's a long time, but I can't seem to break the habit! Plus, I'm extremely busy at the moment.) The chapter's longer than usual, but it's the final fight. Read, enjoy, and (hopefully) review!

* * *

The run down the hall was perhaps the longest of Julia's life. Inside her head, thoughts clashed. What would she do to Frostbite when she caught up to him? What if she didn't catch up to him? Did she have the guts to wreak the destruction that Frostbite justly deserved?

And always at the corner of her mind was the knowledge that the heat was becoming unbearable. Her costume protected her from most of the heat, but her arms were bare and glistening with sweat. Luckily, Julia was able to trace a path through the patches of fire that swamped the corridor. She knew, however, that her costume alone couldn't protect her from the flames in the White Tower. It was there that the fires would be the worst.

Eventually, the smoke grew too thick, and Julia began to cough and her eyes sting. Without stopping, she drew out her breathing filter and put in on. She still felt like she was suffocating, but it was better than the alternative.

Julia smelled the carcass before she saw it. A thick, strong, acrid scent sifted through the breathing filter, making the girl gag. It was nothing like the smell of burning wood or cloth. No, it was ten times worse than burning hair, and it seemed to coat the inside of her throat. A second later, and Julia almost tripped on the burning body of the shapeshifter guard splayed at the entrance to the White Tower. He was completely unrecognizable, with blackened flesh that was smoldering before Julia's eyes. With some difficulty, the girl resisted the urge to vomit.

_Later_, she told herself firmly. _I'll throw up later. Right now, I've got a job to do_.

It occurred to Julia that even though she'd just seen the remains of the shapeshifter, she hadn't seen any of the bodies of the guards that she had blasted with electricity right inside the hall. Perhaps they'd woken up and escaped before they could be burned. But she hadn't seen them leave through the center room…

Pushing this to the back of her mind, Julia picked her way around the body, then almost stepped back at the sheer force of the heat coming from the inside of the White Tower; it was like a wall that was pressing her back. She couldn't get through the heat. It was impossible.

Then, through the murky haze of smoke, Julia caught a glimpse of a figure in a dark leather jacket on the opposite side of the room – Frostbite. The youth was stumbling towards the opposite wall, slow going because he was carrying Aphrodite in his arms.

"FROSTBITE!"

Julia's hesitancy vanished as her old fury came back at the sight of her enemy. Unfortunately, he had heard her muffled shout. Half-turning, Frostbite sent a handful of ice shards speeding her way. As Julia dodged them, she saw with satisfaction that the ice was half-melted from the heat of the fires. Clearly, her opponent was not in his element. And as Frostbite made a break for the wall, Julia knew that whatever doubts she'd had about destroying him were far gone.

Fastening her mask back onto her face, the girl delved into herself and summoned the wind. It came to her readily – night breezes from outside, the still air from inside, and the hot gusts of convection currents created by rising air from the fires. They all came rushing to her and she sent them into the White Tower to swirl around the perimeter of the room in a circular fashion. Blasting at 70 miles per hour, the wind created a solid barrier around the sides of the room, blocking any escape.

Some more intricate mind work and thick gusts of the group were spiraling upwards, hugging the walls, then spiraling back downwards in the opposite direction. They sucked in the suffocating smoke, brought it to the open ceiling, released it into the night sky, then brought fresh air downwards. Unfortunately, the wind caused the fires to roar and climb higher, but the heat and smoke weren't serious obstacles anymore.

Athene stepped away from the air barrier, her hair flying in the wind and fury-ignited sparks glittering behind her eyes, which were fixed on her adversary. Frostbite was unsuccessfully trying to get through the air barrier to no avail. Every time he approached it, the sheer speed of the air tore at his body and Aphrodite's, repelling him.

"You trapped me in here, and you didn't think I'd find out about your secret exit?"

Frostbite turned at the sound of Athene's voice carrying over the noise of the rushing wind. As his eyes widened, the girl knew that her guess was correct. When she had still been imprisoned in the White Tower, the shapeshifter guard in Damien's form had attempted to flee from the real Damien by running towards the opposite wall. The fact that she had seen none of the guards in the corridor had confirmed her thought – there was a secret, invisible door in the wall.

And now that she had blocked every exit, Frostbite was trapped. "If you want to leave," Athene called over the wind, "you have to fight me first." Ripping off her breathing mask, she settled into a ready position.

At first, she thought that Frostbite would try to get through the secret door again. Instead, the youth lowered the unconscious Aphrodite to the ground, turned around, then took a step closer to Julia.

"Have it your way, then."

And they began their first and last fight.

* * *

In a flurry of color, both teens shot arsenal at each other, yellow lightning crisscrossing pale blue ice. The two blasts met over the large fire in the center of the room and clashed, sparks and ice shards flying from the collision. Before the pieces had even hit the ground, Frostbite sent another barrage of frozen darts at Athene, who conjured up a rectangular shield of lightning on her left arm to deflect the attack.

Bringing bolts of lightning to her right hand, Athene hurled a fistful at her opponent, who blocked them with his own glossy shield of ice. He quickly retaliated with a larger chunk of jagged ice, which the girl merely leaped to the side to avoid. The block of ice shattered on the wall behind her, leaving sharp slivers on the ground.

"Seriously, why are you even trying?" Frostbite dodged another ball of lightning as he talked. "It sounds cliché, but you know you're not going to win."

Athene smiled grimly as she pelted her adversary with electricity, keeping him from striking back.

"Funny thing," she replied coolly. "I was just about to say the same thing."

In the second when Frostbite hesitated, the girl pulled power from herself and shot a thick stream of lightning at him. He responded swiftly, and soon a column of ice met the electricity and pushed back at it. The two forces struggled against each other for a few seconds, lightning and ice splintering and sizzling where they met, both jets of power equal in strength and distance.

With a grunt of effort, Frostbite shoved more power through his hands, and the ice advanced, forcing the lightning to withdraw slowly. Seeing this, Athene gritted her teeth. Drawing more of her power, she pushed the ice back. Then, she began walking forward. The effort was tremendous; each step felt like pushing against a boulder. But, step by step, the girl progressed, stepping through the fire at the center of the room even as it burned her boots. A distant part of her mind observed that she normally wouldn't be able to walk through fire, but then pushed the thought away. Perhaps her powers gave her some immunity to superheat.

At the moment, though, the girl was focused on her opponent only. When she was standing mere feet away from Frostbite, Athene knew she was going to overpower him. "Give up, Frostbite," she ordered harshly, bearing down on the blond-haired youth. "You're fighting a losing battle."

After a final shove of her power, her lightning swallowed the remaining ice, and Frostbite went flying backwards into the air barrier behind him. Getting slowly to his feet, the youth looked up at his opponent, contempt in his eyes.

"Funny, that's what I told Roger right before I shot him."

Pure rage surged through Athene, and she hurled herself at her most-hated enemy. Her fist came swinging around, but Frostbite caught it between his two forearms, crossed like an x in front of himself. With her other fist, Athene rammed him twice in the diaphragm, forcing him to let go as he gasped for breath. As soon as she was released, the girl pivoted to the side, curled her right foot back, and whipped it straight at Frostbite's chest. When her adversary moved to avoid the attack, Athene pivoted to the other side and performed the same attack, making Frostbite avoid the kick again.

This time, Frostbite seized Athene's leg and twisted it, forcing the girl to turn around on one leg to keep her other knee from breaking. "Your brother was such a wimp," the youth commented maliciously. "Isn't it funny how you were there, but you couldn't save him?"

Athene gritted her teeth.

"Not really." Extending a hand backwards, she blindly shot a thin bolt of lightning at the youth. "Asshole." The lightning hit Frostbite in the chest, causing him to let the girl's leg go. When she spun around, the young man threw a flurry of punches at her, but Athene moved her head each time to avoid the attacks. Finally, she blocked one of his punches by pushing it aside with her forearm, then landed her own blow. Fueled by lightning, it threw Frostbite back a few feet and into the barrier, which he hit and fell facedown onto the ground.

Hands clenched, Athene waited impatiently for him to rise. "Get up! Get up and fight!" She didn't even realize that she was shaking.

Frostbite raised his head and looked at her.

"Fine."

And he shot the girl with the gun in his hand.

* * *

Agony.

It was all Athene could feel as she sank to her hands and knees, crying out at the white-hot spear of pain in her left shoulder.

She wanted it to stop, but it wouldn't. She wanted to fall unconscious, but she didn't. She had never felt this kind of pain, even when the bolt of lightning from the sky had struck her. That was mind-numbing pain in her entire body. But this – this was an intense fire that struck at one spot and raged uncontrollably.

She clutched at the source of the agony, felt wetness and smelled sharpness – alien observations that were overpowered by the pain in her shoulder. All thoughts were gone, all other senses were gone. So when Frostbite leisurely got to his feet and casually sidled over, Athene didn't even notice.

"Isn't it great how much one bullet can do?"

There was another flare of pain as Frostbite kicked Athene in the ribs, but it was still dominated by the one in her shoulder. The ensuing punch to the side of her face didn't even come close.

Frostbite kept talking. "When you think about it –" another blow to her face "-you're not really doing this for Roger." At a low growl from Athene, the youth amended, "Ok, not all of this. Mostly, you're doing this for yourself. You're trying to redeem yourself for the Teen Titans, to prove that you're not just a petty, lowly thief with no morals."

The young man performed a showy spinning kick, his foot catching the side of Athene's head and knocking her back. "Red X, now he sees things in black and white. He doesn't mind being the thief outcast, as long as he fills his thievery quota and gets high on the adrenaline and endorphins."

She had to get up and do something. If not, Frostbite would only continue beating her up until she died. And with the shape that she was in at the moment, it wouldn't take long. The girl sucked in a breath and struggled to her knees, trying to ignore the throbbing in her shoulder, but a hand at her throat sufficiently stopped her.

Frostbite was suddenly lifting her up by the throat and turning on the spot so that her back was to the air barrier. "Now, you see things differently. You want to do good, but you can't help who you are and what you've learned. You want to steal for the joy of it. But now that you've been a Titan, you can never go back to just being a thief. And after your history of stealing and betrayal, you can't be a superhero."

His other fist came out of nowhere. Ice-covered, solid, and sharp, it struck her squarely in the ribs again and flung her backwards into her own creation. When Athene fell forwards onto the ground, she could feel the stabs of pain that meant her ribs were cracked.

He was still talking, his gray eyes calm as a small smile played about his features. He was _enjoying_ it. "Hell, after this little event you'll never be able to dream about being a superhero, even if you survive. No one, _no one_, will trust you."

He sauntered over, hands in his jacket pockets, and looked down at Athene, who was on her hands and knees. "You've made so many wrong decisions, screwed up your life so much, there's nothing left to salvage." He crouched down so that his face was next to Athene's, his voice soft. "There's nothing left of you, Julia. Just accept the truth."

Athene lifted her head with some effort to look straight into Frostbite's eyes.

"You're wrong about that," she whispered.

The blond-haired youth raised one eyebrow, amused.

"Oh, really?"

The girl gritted her teeth.

"Yeah. There's this."

Her right hand shot out and seized her opponent's neck. Before Frostbite could even react, a surge of lightning traveled down Athene's arm and swarmed over the young man, making him scream and convulse from the shock. Without letting up, Athene got to her feet and lifted Frostbite by the throat as he had done to her. Yellow lightning bolts crawled over the two of them, the sound of its crackles mingling with Frostbite's yells.

With the lightning lending her extra power, Athene hurled her adversary into the air barrier with twice the strength she usually had. The act made her left shoulder and her ribs ache even more, but it was worth it. Frostbite was on his back and groaning, having slammed into the air barrier and slid down to the ground. The surge of electricity had thoroughly shocked him, but not enough to paralyze him or knock him out.

Athene gritted her teeth against the pain and staggered forward. Coming to a stop a few feet away from Frostbite, she conjured up a thick lightning bolt, which she held in her right hand, and aimed it at her adversary. "Now. What's the Elite?"

Frostbite opened his eyes and grinned weakly.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Roger did, right before he died." He coughed, his voice hoarse from screaming. "Then again, so did Silver, and – oh wait, she died, too."

Damien had been right – Frostbite and Aphrodite hadn't trusted Silver. So after her usefulness had run out, they'd killed her. Athene looked down at the blond-haired young man in disgust. How could someone so young be so evil? Was he being brainwashed? Even if he was, it didn't matter. A murderer was a murderer, no matter if he was insane, brainwashed, or in his right mind.

"You bastard," Athene said softly, her voice layered with revulsion. "You kill like it's a hobby."

At this, Frostbite managed a weak chuckle, then coughed again. He was lying mere inches from a ring of flames, which were inching closer by the second. From the new smell of burning cloth, some flames had already reached Aphrodite.

"And you're about to do the same. That makes us pretty alike, doesn't it?" When Athene raised her lightning bolt, ready to throw, the young man continued, "But you don't have the guts to kill me."

Slowly, Athene lowered the bolt and let its power trickle back into her arms. She wasn't like him; she wouldn't murder someone in cold blood.

"No, you're right. But I don't have to save you."

With a burst of energy, the girl drew up every last bit of power she had and forced it through her hands. The ensuing onslaught of electricity struck Frostbite, making him scream, but kept pouring out. Squinting her eyes against the brilliant light, Athene conjured every last thread of lightning inside of her and pushed it out. The bolts of white-hot lightning wrapped themselves around the screaming Frostbite, who thrashed on the ground, his eyes screwed up against the pain. When her nerve began to fail her, Athene thought about Roger and continued electrifying Frostbite. She thought about the Teen Titans. And she thought about Damien.

By the time she judged that Frostbite wasn't yet dead, but paralyzed, Athene found that her supply of power had been used up. With that emptiness came complete exhaustion, and the girl found that it was suddenly difficult to stay on her feet. Without her control over them, the tornado and air barrier she had made unwound itself and the breezes soared back into the sky. The fires' intensity died down somewhat, but the smoke came back and began to fill the room.

Noticing this, Athene fumbled in her belt for her breathing filter, then realized that she'd thrown it away earlier. She had to get out of the room, fast, before the smoke caused her lungs to swell up and fill with fluid. Turning around, the girl began to stumble away. Frostbite's call made her stop.

"Wait!" A pity his paralysis didn't seem to apply to his speaking skills, Athene thought tiredly. "You can't just leave me here like this!"

Slowly, the girl turned around to look at Frostbite. His head was turned to the side, and he was looking at her in exhausted desperation. He had already noticed the flames coming dangerously close to his head, and was trying to move without success.

Unfortunately, Athene wasn't in a pitying mood. Her head had begun to swim, and just standing was draining what little energy she had left. Thus, she could only think of one thing to say:

"Welcome to hell, Frostbite."

And turning back around, Athene staggered out of the room as Frostbite's screams rang in her ears.

* * *

It took one look at the shapeshifter's burnt corpse for all of the events to come rushing back. Athene lurched over to the nearest wall and threw up. When she was done, the girl leaned her back against the wall, and slid down it, coughing. She couldn't walk any farther, that much she knew. When she had run out of lightning, she had run out of energy as well. Perhaps it was a consequence of getting power from lightning from the sky as opposed to resting and building up her own lightning.

Whatever it was, Athene didn't bother to worry about it. Tugging off her mask, Julia let it drop into the nearest fire, scant inches from her left foot. Smoke was quickly collecting in the air now that the tornado was gone. If that didn't kill her first, the fires certainly would.

_Damien…he'll wonder where I am…_

Leaning her head back against the wall, Julia passed out, surrounded by flames.

* * *

**A/N:** Will Julia die there? Will she somehow get out? Read the next chapter and see!


	56. No Questions

**A/N:** Yes, I know I haven't posted in awhile. More than a month! But I worked on this when I had a bit of time during Thanksgiving break, so here it is! I even got to start the next chapter, which will hopefully be up within a month. Not promising anything, though.

By the way, I posted a new poll on my profile. Basically, the question is asking which Teen Titans character you'd like me to write in with Julia in a new mini-sequel. I'll probably be writing small 'episodes' after this, since a long story like this is just too much work. So which character would you like to be in the next episode? Kid Flash? Speedy? Cheshire? Warp? You vote and decide!

Ok, done with advertising.

* * *

Damien couldn't remember a time when he'd been more afraid. Not when he'd first left home, not when gotten into that mess in China, not when he'd first started being Red X, not even when he'd finally figured out that his casual flirtations with Julia weren't just, well, casual flirtations. No, right now he was more afraid than he'd ever been before.

The youth sprinted down the corridor, which was choking with smoke and harboring a stifling heat that pressed on him from all sides. It was like a physical being, determined to squeeze him into a compressed ball. Fires raged in small random patches on the ground, forcing the youth to watch where he placed his feet as he ran.

Somewhere, Julia was here. And judging from the fact that she hadn't met him back in that central room, she wasn't in good shape.

He had waited for ten minutes, which had seemed like eternity. Before that, he'd done his task. _That_ didn't take too long – just simple teleportations from room to room. But when he'd gotten back and waited impatiently for Julia to arrive…she hadn't. Seconds had stretched on, and his impatience and uneasiness had built steadily, until he'd given up and gone after her. He didn't care if he was about to interrupt some kind of epic battle between her and Frostbite. He didn't care if she would be annoyed at him for trying to save her like she was a damsel in distress (something that she had clearly warned him against previously). He just wanted to make sure she was safe.

The possibility seemed less and less the farther he went down the corridor. The heat was blistering him even through his flame-retardant suit, and the smoke, though filtered through his mask, was making the incoming air thick and stale. How was Julia, who had neither a breathing filter nor a costume equipped for this kind of environment, faring?

When the smell of burning flesh hit him like a tidal wave, Damien feared for the worst.

_Be safe be safe be safe be safe, oh God please let her be safe…_

Then the sound of screams reached his ears through the mask, and the youth almost had a heart attack before he realized that the screams weren't Julia's. They were masculine – Frostbite's. They went on and on, which meant that whatever pain the teen was in was clearly unending. So did that mean Julia had won? Or did it mean that she had already…lost and Frostbite was dying as well? Maybe Julia had won and was trying to get out, but didn't make it…

Sweating underneath his costume, Damien scanned the hallway as he slowed his pace, the flames obstructing more and more of his path. All he could see now was red, orange, and yellow fire, clogged with black smoke curling and collecting at the ceiling.

Then he saw her.

Julia was sitting splayed against the left wall, her head tilted, her eyes closed. A patch of fire was dangerously close to her left side, and judging from the smoke tendrils, it was beginning to burn her left boot. Was she…?

Damien leapt over a particularly large cluster of flames and landed in front of the teen girl. Kneeling, he quickly checked her for any wounds – and inhaled sharply at the wet patch of blood on her left shoulder. Frostbite had shot her. That son of a bitch had _shot_ her. Fury and fear for Julia's wound battled each other as Damien gently scooped the girl into his arms, carefully supporting her head as he got to his feet. Hopefully, he wasn't disturbing any other injuries that he couldn't see at the moment.

As the youth made his way back down the hall, he barely noticed that the screams had faded.

* * *

Damien didn't think about how he was going to evade the Titans and sneak back home. All he knew was that he'd rescued Julia from burning alive, she was safely in his arms, and they were getting away from that burning building that he never wanted to see again. Back in the central room, the youth had retrieved a hoverboard that he'd found in the surveillance room. After figuring out how it had worked – which was only the matter of a few seconds – he'd gotten on it while holding Julia, and flown out of a large hole in the glass ceiling that he suspected one of the Titans had made to get the unconscious guards out more quickly as the fire had gotten worse.

It was just in time, too – as soon as the teens had exited the hole in the ceiling, a large black dome, which encircled the building and rose over the walls to an almost complete hemisphere, closed off on the top so that the headquarter was entirely enclosed by Raven's power. Clearly, the empath had been watching to make sure they'd gotten out before she'd finished quarantining the fire so that it couldn't spread to the city. Because of that, Damien wasn't really surprised when the Titan appeared before him and Julia.

He only made it halfway to the city before a black shape appeared, spiraling, in the air in front of the two teens. It finally unfolded into the shape of a black bird, wings outstretched, before disappearing to reveal Raven herself, hooded and floating in midair.

"We need to speak to both of you." She must've seen Julia's state, though the empath's voice did not waver or change from her flat tone.

Red X knew that he was trapped. He couldn't teleport with Julia in his arms – one of the drawbacks to the suit was that he couldn't teleport any other living thing with him – and there was no way that he could get around Raven. With no other choice, the thief merely shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Hey, if the Titans love me that much, I can't refuse them another chance to see me."

It was just a show of bravado, and he knew that Raven knew that. She had to know that above all, he feared for his friend's life. However, the empath didn't say anything as, once again, her raven-shaped soul-self expanded from thin air and enveloped the three of them.

* * *

Raven's method of teleporting was totally different from Red X's. Once embraced in the darkness of the empath's soul-self, the teleported person felt a chill run through his or her entire body as all vision went black. The only way to know that the teleported person had successfully arrived was the return of sight and normal warmth. Needless to say, Red X preferred his own mode of travel, even if it did limit to one passenger.

As the thief felt the last tendrils of Raven's power disappear, he saw exactly who he had the pleasure of meeting again: all of the Titans, who stood on top of a building near the city edge. All of them looked grim. Robin stood slightly ahead of the group, with Cyborg and Starfire just to his rear, while Beast Boy stood behind Cyborg. As Red X surveyed the assembled team, Raven silently flew over to float at the back.

There was a second of tension as team faced thief-

-before Starfire started forward with a cry of shock. She had seen the bloody Julia in Red X's arms.

"Julia!"

Judging from the alien's response, Robin hadn't told any of the Titans about Julia's double identity. Starfire leapt forward, worry in her eyes, then halted as Red X took a step backwards, his foot right on the edge of the brick building. The rest of the Titans came forward for a better look, though it was Cyborg, Robin, and Raven to come the closest, Cyborg and Raven to examine Julia's injuries, and Robin to interrogate Red X.

"What happened?" The Boy Wonder's voice was sharp as he looked the thief in the eye – as much as one could look a mask in the eye. Red X, however, didn't answer, preferring instead to keep an eye on Julia, whom Cyborg was now scanning with his mechanical eye as he listed out the injuries.

"Bruised face, legs, arms, especially back. Black eye. Broken nose. Split lip. Weird…nerves are literally almost shot. Three broken ribs. Bullet in the left shoulder." The dark-skinned youth looked over his own shoulder at Robin, who was frowning. "I've seen worse, but not much."

Raven glided over, one glowing hand outstretched. When Red X drew away, the empath met his eyes.

"She needs to be put into a healing trance," the girl told him emotionlessly. "It will lessen the pain and help her heal more quickly."

Red X narrowed his eyes, but made no move to stop the superhero as she placed a glowing hand on Julia's forehead. There was no visible sign that Julia had gone from unconsciousness into a trance, but Red X could feel her body become slightly limper. If he had the choice, the thief wouldn't have let Raven even touch Julia, but in his trapped position – cornered by the Titans with a thoroughly wounded friend in his arms – he _had_ no choice.

"Where's Frostbite and Aphrodite?" Robin asked abruptly. The team leader stared at Red X, who held his eyes for a moment before responding.

"They were left behind," the thief finally replied. At this, however, Robin's eyes widened in shock.

"They're still in the building?" he demanded. "Julia _left them in the burning building?!_"

Red X was silent, though Robin dashed over to the side of the building to stare down at the raging fire, which was beginning to die from the lack of oxygen in the black dome. Nothing could be seen, except for flickers of light and black smoke clouding the sides. The other Titans, meanwhile, had finally gotten the full meaning of what the thief had said. Starfire's hands had flown to her mouth in horror, Beast Boy looked stunned, and Cyborg's eyebrows flew up in disbelief. Raven, of course, had no change in expression, though a small flicker of emotion passed across her eyes. Robin was running a hand through his hair, though he made no attempt to go down to the ground. He, and everyone else, knew that there was no saving Frostbite and Aphrodite. They had been in the burning building for over twenty minutes, with no way out and no fresh air. If they weren't suffocated by then, they had burnt to death.

The Boy Wonder didn't seem to have anything else to say for a long moment. Then, suddenly: "We need to bring her back to the Tower."

"_No_."

The Titans looked at Red X, whose voice had become more vehement than they'd ever heard before. "You're not taking her anywhere," the thief added, more quietly but just as firmly. "She's coming with me."

"Not a good idea," Cyborg commented uncomfortably. "She needs serious medical attention."

"Medical attention that _we_ can provide from the Tower's infirmary," Raven added flatly.

Beast Boy, though looking decidedly uncomfortable, spoke up.

"Dude," he said, "Cyborg and Raven are good at the healing thing."

"Julia will have the adequate care at our Tower," Starfire insisted earnestly. "She will-"

"-be interrogated when she wakes up?" Red X interrupted harshly. "Kept in the Tower against her will? Sounds attractive, but I don't think so."

"She doesn't have time for us to argue," Robin interjected angrily. Lines of stress that Red X didn't think existed were etched into the superhero's face. For the first time, the thief realized that, despite his displeasure at her being a thief, Robin genuinely cared about Julia. Red X remembered the look that Robin and Julia had exchanged back when he and Julia had come to get the Boy Wonder. The superhero had looked immensely relieved at seeing Julia alive after her supposed death. Shell-shocked, but immensely relieved. He might have been furious at Julia for fooling all of the Titans, but he didn't want her _dead_.

But what if they did take her to the Tower, heal her, then interrogate her? They were the _Teen Titans_. Red X was under no delusions – they had the power to get whatever they wanted, within reason. Hell, if they wanted answers right now, Raven could just delve into Julia's mind in a trice. But they were honorable, if naïve at times. They wouldn't dishonor another person's mind or interrogate them if they knew he or she was injured.

Though the Titans could not see past Red X's mask, the thief was going through a fierce internal struggle. Leave Julia to the Titans or bring her back home? What was best for her health, and what was best for safety? What was best for him? What was the best for the both of them?

"All right." The Titans looked surprised at Red X's sudden surrender. The thief gave Robin a brief nod, then offered Julia to Cyborg, who carefully lifted the girl into his own arms. "Heal her, take care of her, but whatever you do, _don't_ put her through hell. She deserves that much."

Of all the Titans, Robin was the only one who didn't look uncertain. His, Julia, and Red X's ordeal had somehow bonded them together, and a certain silent understanding ran through all three of them. Only Red X and Robin knew what Julia had had to go through, from having to face down a monster-wielding villainess to being struck _twice_ by pure lightning bolts.

The Boy Wonder nodded wordlessly, but a frown creased his brow.

"All right…But about Frostbite and-"

Red X raised his hand, palm outwards, to stop Robin from going on, and the whole team reared back slightly, knowing the weapons that could spring from just the thief's hand.

"No questions," Red X said firmly. "I'll be checking up on her."

And before any of the superheroes could even raise their own hands to stop the thief, he vanished.


	57. New Identity

**A/N:** Can it be? This is the second to last chapter in the whole story? Surprisingly, yes!

* * *

…_healing trance should last from a week to two weeks…_

…_extract the bullet…_

_Lucky it didn't hit any vital organs…_

…_bandage the ribs now?_

…_bruises will heal with time…_

…_just need to wait…_

* * *

Julia remained in a healing trance for two weeks, awakening only to be told that she needed to be bedridden for another week. Cyborg and Raven's combined work – Cyborg with the physical surgeries and Raven with the actual healing process – had caused her recovery to be cut down significantly, but with a shortened recovery came a lot of rest. Every bone that had been broken had been put into place and the bullet extracted, but Julia's body had to heal its own bones, tendons, and skin. Raven had used her powers to speed up the natural process, but as the empath had told her, accelerating the natural process meant that if anything was out of place, the results would be worse than if the body had healed itself naturally.

So for one whole week, Julia was left in the infirmary to rest and wait. Sleeping was her main activity, since she wasn't allowed to get up from her bed, never mind walk around. For most of the day, the girl drifted in the hazy place between sleep and consciousness, alternating between staring at the ceiling and closing her eyes to watch memories play on the insides of her eyelids.

Sometimes she would open her eyes and imagine seeing Red X standing beside her bed, looking down at her, and sometimes it was Robin. Once she thought it was Aqualad, but when she realized this and began to wake up more fully, he was gone. Cyborg and Raven were frequent presences on the other side of the door, their silhouettes visible as they discussed Julia's health or silently inspected the monitors. Starfire and Beast Boy were rarely there. Julia spoke to none of them, and none of them spoke to her.

It was just as well; she wasn't sure if Robin had told them the truth about her, or if Red X had told them what she'd done to Frostbite and Aphrodite. If the Titans knew about her double identity as Athene, they might not forgive her – after all, she had not only been a thief, but had also worked her way into their inner circle. And the whole event at the HQ – well, they wouldn't see it as anything but murder. That it itself was worth hours of thought as she went through an internal struggle over what she had done, what she should have done, and what she would do in the future.

All she was left to do as she lay on her bed was to think. And when she had a whole week of doing nothing, she did _a lot_ of thinking.

* * *

Very little could surprise Robin, especially that month. So when he heard a knock on his bedroom window, and turned to see Julia floating outside, he didn't bat an eye. Nor was he surprised when, opening the glass window, he noticed that the girl was wearing an entirely new violet and black costume.

Gone was the black spaghetti-strap tank top, instead replaced by a black long-sleeved shirt that fit her body well. The neck was a v that ended in the shape of a lightning bolt, while the girl's forearms were protected with familiar silver armguards, engraved with lightning bolts that were violet now instead of yellow. A similar violet lightning bolt was engraved on the silver buckle of the black leather belt wrapped around the girl's waist.

Julia knew without asking that she didn't need an invitation to enter. As she stepped from her wind platform and into Robin's bedroom, the crisp morning breeze billowed her short skirt, which was pleated and decorated with violet and black diagonal plaits. A waist-long violet cape attached to the girl's shoulders by silver clasps fluttered behind her, thoroughly reminding Robin of typical superheroes.

However, Julia had averted the typical superhero look by sporting silver lighting bolt earrings that dangled from her ears, a black choker wrapped around her neck, and black fingerless gloves covering her hands, all of which added a new touch to the ensemble. When the girl stepped onto the Boy Wonder's plain wooden floor, it was with black leggings tucked into calf-high boots.

Overall, the costume seemed to be a mix of her two previous ones (Julia's and Athene's), but with a few newer elements. Like before, Julia's hair had a right part, with the right side tucked behind her ear and the left side flowing to cover half of her face. However, the girl wore no mask, though Robin knew that anyone who didn't know the girl well might not be able to recognize her with only half her face showing.

For a long moment, the two teenagers faced each other, looking into each other's eyes emotionlessly, almost somberly. It was as if they were both pondering how much their relationship had changed over the past months. They had gone from being citizen to superhero, thief to superhero, friend to friend, team member to team member, and finally… well, Julia didn't exactly know what kind of relationship she and Robin had at the moment. Were they friends? Enemies? Allies?

She'd gone to great lengths to be there for him, as a friend, team member, and ally. And there had been moments when she had held her breath and looked at him, and thought that maybe, _maybe_ they could be more than just friends. Theoretically, it was entirely possible. They had been zealous enemies and temporarily close friends at the same time, their personalities were closer than any of the other Titans, and they had a mutual grudging respect for each other. They had taken risks for each other, fought alongside each other, and seen each other through in bad times.

But it just wasn't there – that spark that could propel them any further than friends. Sure, they'd flirted a bit. But when it came down to it, their views on justice just didn't match up. Robin thought justice was saving the world and carrying out the law; Julia thought justice went outside of laws and legal ramifications. Because when it came down to it, the legal system was hopelessly limited, corrupted, and had far too many loopholes. Despite that, Robin chose to defend it – and they could never get past that.

"Robin." Julia broke the silence first. "We need to talk."

With that, the Boy Wonder seemed to put on his 'important superhero' visage.

"Yes, we do," he replied curtly. "About Frostbite and-"

"Robin," Julia interrupted, "Stop. I mean, we need to talk as allies. Right now, I don't need you to be a pompous superhero or important team leader. I need you to be a friend. An ally. _An equal_. Someone impartial and fair. Someone who's experienced a lot as the sidekick of the grittiest crime-fighter."

The girl could've sworn that Robin's back straightened a little at the reference to his previous position. The Boy Wonder hesitated for a second, mulling over the girl's request, then finally relaxed a little. Folding his arms, he nodded at her.

"All right. Go on."

Julia smiled, then quickly became subdued. Striding over to the large open windows, she paused in front of them for a moment, her eyes slightly unfocused, then closed them with a snap. Only then did she look over at Robin, a shadow passing over her face.

"I've started hearing sounds on the wind," she said bitterly, leaning against the wall next to the windows. "I guess it has something to do with being struck by lightning twice. Enhances my powers or something."

The girl took a deep breath and met the superhero's gaze soberly. "I can't deal with all of this right now. My powers, the Titans, what happened at that place…" She looked away. "I need to get away."

Robin frowned.

"I can understand that," he replied slowly, his voice neutral, "but you can't just leave. There's everything that's happened over the past months." At Julia's raised eyebrows, he clarified, "What you did, by coming into the Titans. And being a thief, and what you did to Frostbite and Aphrodite…" His voice hardened. "We can't just forget things like that, Julia. If it was anybody else-"

"-I would've woken up in a prison infirmary instead of the Titan one," Julia finished coolly. "I know. And as much as you can't forget the 'bad' things I've done, you also have to remember the 'good' things." She began counting each mention on her fingers. "Saving your butt during that car crash. Beating Silver. Getting us away from the Nemean Lion. Beating Plasmus. Helping you find the headquarters. And-" the girl's eyes bored into Robin's "–risking my life to restart your heart." Julia dropped her hands. "You owe me, Boy Wonder."

Robin groaned inwardly. If there was one thing he had to give to Julia, it was that she knew how to manipulate things in her favor. And yet, she was right – he _did_ owe her. But he thought he knew what she was getting at. If he wanted to put things right, he had to do a little manipulating of his own.

The youth raised his eyebrows in pretend doubt.

"Do I owe you, though?" he asked. "I let you stay in the Tower and learn how to control your powers. I didn't say anything when you destroyed half the Operations Room, and after that thing with Frostbite and Roger Keating, I didn't push you about it. I didn't actively go after you as Athene. And when you and Red X came to the Tower, I didn't try to arrest both of you."

"Only because you couldn't take the two of us at once," Julia pointed out, a smile hooking the side of her mouth. When Robin merely shrugged, the girl folded her arms and dropped the amused attitude. "Here's the situation, Bird Boy. I've done things that you don't like, but I've also done things that you have to repay. The only way to solve this is to make a compromise."

Robin frowned.

"Judging from your new outfit, it seems you already have one waiting."

Julia smoothed her skirt absentmindedly.

"Well, yeah," she replied. "I do." The girl took a deep breath. "You once told me of different paths someone could take. They could be a superhero, a thief, or…a vigilante." At Robin's widened eyes, she continued firmly, "So I've chosen. I'm going to be a vigilante."

Robin closed his eyes and sat on a nearby chair, putting his head in his hands. When he finally lifted his eyes and looked at Julia, it was with determination.

"_No_," the Boy Wonder said emphatically. "You are _not_ becoming a vigilante. I won't let you."

Julia raised an eyebrow coldly.

"You won't _let_ me?" she repeated dangerously. "Robin, I saved your life. _Twice_. You're lucky I'm not planning to be a thief again." Robin just stared at her, and the girl's voice softened. "Look. I've done things I can never forget, but I've also learned things that I can never forget, too. There are things that need to be changed, and _somebody_ needs to change them, whether they're on the right side of the law or not. As a vigilante, I can do all of that. And…I can pay off what I've done."

When Robin just looked up at the ceiling as if asking a higher being for patience, Julia dragged a chair over next to the youth and sat on it. "I'm not asking for a lot. I just want to leave and start over."

Robin looked at her.

"You want full amnesty," he clarified incredulously. Julia nodded.

"In exchange for what I've done to help the Titans," she said. "I just want the slate wiped clean." The girl unhooked a familiar device from her belt and gave it to Robin, who looked confused. "It's that laser I stole awhile ago," Julia explained. "Clear my name, and not only will you not be in my debt, but I'll even stop being a thief and leave Jump City."

The Boy Wonder turned the laser over in his hands, his mind working swiftly. Julia drove a hard bargain, but it was also fairly reasonable for the both of them. As leader of the Teen Titans, Robin had some power over criminal records. Even so, the murders (and Robin had no doubt that they were murders) of Frostbite and Aphrodite were not something to just forget. But if Julia left and promised not to go back to being a thief… But become a vigilante? That was almost as bad…

But without Julia, Robin would never have been able to free the Titans. Without Julia, Robin's heart would not be beating.

The superhero looked up.

"All right," he said with finality as well as displeasure. "I accept the deal."

Julia smiled, the first genuine one in a long time.

"Thank you."

As the two of them stood, Robin eyed Julia's new costume.

"So you got a new identity, a new costume…do you have a new name?"

Julia smiled again, a hint of mischief sparkling behind her eyes.

"You'll find out eventually."


	58. Tempestra

**A/N:** Yup, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for! 58 chapters, 190 computer pages, over 100,000 words, and three years! It feels so weird to finally be finished, but here it is. Of course, it's not really the end, per se - I've got smaller stories lined up, all featuring Julia and some other Titans! I'll soon be posting the one with Kid Flash, which occurs during "Calling All Titans". Don't you think Robin might call up Julia for some help, too? I've also got a crossover fanfiction (called "The Call") between Teen Titans (specifically, Julia) and the Prince Caspian movie. It's pretty good, if I may say so myself! I've got the whole plot figured out, and how Julia would fit into it.

Done with the advertising. Go on and read (and be welcome to review)!

* * *

Damien had not seen Julia conscious for over three weeks, though he _had_ managed to sneak into the Tower and visit her three times. After the third, the Titans had finally discovered that somebody had been breaking in, and had put a stricter watch on Julia. It was too bad that every time Damien saw his friend, she was sleeping. Still, the next time he did see her, he wasn't the one to surprise her; she surprised _him_.

The young man was standing on the balcony connected to Julia's room, gloomily gazing out at Jump City. When a shadow fell over him, however, the youth looked up to see Julia in her new costume, standing on a wind platform that was descending through the air. Her short cape fluttered in a small breeze, and her hair flowed behind her like black waves as she smiled at him. Pure contentment radiated from her face as she opened her arms in welcome.

"_Damien_."

With a whoop, Damien lifted Julia by the waist and swung her onto the balcony, where he whirled her around in joy. Julia clutched her friend by the shoulders and threw back her head to laugh with delight. When Damien finally put her down and got a good look at her and what she was wearing, his smile faded. Noticing this, Julia sighed.

"We need to talk."

* * *

The afternoon sun's brilliance was thwarted by a cool ocean wind which swept over the occupants of the bay's boardwalk, which was nearly empty. Most of the beach-goers were languishing on the long strip of sand bordering the curve of the bay. The few people that were on the boardwalk strolled up and down, chatting idly or engrossed in the flashy stalls where vendors sold souvenirs and beach items.

This was ideal for Damien and Julia, who did not want to be seen. No doubt there would be more than a few people who would look at Julia's clothes askance. The two of them wandered down the wooden path, not holding hands, but not very far from each other. Damien was looking intently at Julia, who was staring straight ahead and talking softly, so as not to be overheard. It was clearly not a time for their usual amiable conversations or teasing debates.

"I did a lot of thinking this past month," Julia remarked quietly "About what's happened." Her boots crunched over the thin layer of gritty sand. "And I finally decided to start over."

"Which explains all of this," Damien supplied, meaning the girl's new ensemble. "You want a fresh start."

Julia nodded.

"Yes. But not as a thief." At this, Damien stopped walking and turned to look at the girl. Julia stopped as well. "I'm not talking about being a superhero," she reassured him hurriedly. "But I came to a compromise."

"You want to be a vigilante," Damien stated, understanding in his hazel eyes. At Julia's surprised look, he added, "Before we infiltrated the HQ, I heard you and Robin talking about how vigilantes differ from thieves and superheroes."

"And?"

"And I get why you want to be one." Damien shrugged. "You're paying off what happened. You're finally getting to do what you've always wanted to do. But-" the youth grew more serious "-make sure this is what you really want."

Julia just stared at him. "Vigilantes don't share the same benefits from superheroes or thieves," Damien explained. "They don't get any rewards like thieves, and people don't like them as much as superheroes. Can you live with that?"

It was a question that Julia – if she had been one hundred percent certain of her decision – should have answered in a heartbeat. As it was, the girl mulled it over for a long moment before replying.

"Yes. But Damien-" she stopped her friend from resuming his walk "-I'm leaving Jump City."

"_What?_"

Julia looked regretful.

"I can't just stay here, not after everything that's happened." Damien continued to stare at her incredulously. "Look, the two biggest influences in my life are you and the Titans. Do you honestly think I could carry out my kind of vigilantism if there was a chance I could run into any of you at night?"

Damien sighed heavily, then turned and began walking again. After a moment, Julia followed.

"No, you're right. Just promise that you'll stay in touch. I know you don't like to be dependent, but if you need any help-"

"-you'll be the first person I'll call," Julia finished, smiling. Some things never changed. And frankly, she was glad that Damien's protectiveness didn't. "Anyway, at least now that I've hung up the 'Athene the thief' and 'Julia the Titan' personas, you'll only have two to keep track of." She glanced at the youth. "Didn't it ever bother you, having three different personas to deal with?"

She stopped walking as Damien turned to look at her seriously.

"No. Never." Surprising Julia, he reached out to push aside the wave of hair shielding half of the girl's face. Then he gently cupped her face with his hands. "No matter what suit you're wearing, no matter what team you're on, no matter what you call yourself, _I've always accepted you completely_. I'll always be there for you, Julia. I always have."

And then, in front of the boardwalk, all the beachgoers, the city, the sky, and the whole world, Damien kissed her.

* * *

Julia did not wait for a goodbye party when she left Titans Tower by the roof. As soon as she had packed her essentials in a backpack and left a note on her bed, the girl had exited the roof by flying away on her wind platform. The moment her feet left the rooftop, she did not look back. If she had, she would have seen the masked thief standing in the shadows of the roof, watching her as she left. She would have seen Robin – holding her note – arrive on the roof, closely followed by the rest of the Titans.

The Boy Wonder stopped at the edge of the roof and stared at the young woman's retreating silhouette, which was illuminated by the rays of the setting sun on the opposite side of the horizon. As the other Titans came over to stand beside him, the superhero looked down at the signature scrawled at the bottom of the note: Tempestra.

He did not agree with her on many things, including half of what she'd done over the time he'd known her, but Robin felt that things had turned out better than it could have. After all, the Titans were back and safe, the city was unharmed, and Athene…well, she didn't exist anymore. Still, if she had…

The young man smiled to himself.

"I never thought one could exist," he said quietly, more to himself than anything else. Beast Boy, however, heard him.

"What could?"

"Well…" Robin searched for the right words. "A good thief."

"Speaking of thieves," Raven remarked, "It's not over yet."

At the sound of an engine roaring below, all of the Titans looked over the edge of the roof to see Red X racing across the bay – back towards the city – on a speedboat. Though none of the Titans had seen him at the Tower, they knew that they didn't have to know what he'd been doing.

"X is still on the loose," Cyborg commented. With a series of clunks, his arm shifted into his famous cannon.

Starfire's hands began to glow green as she summoned her starbolts.

"And we are still able to do the pursuing of Red X, yes?" she inquired, levitating off of the roof in anticipation.

Robin smiled grimly.

"I granted amnesty to Julia. I didn't give it to him."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Beast Boy demanded. Within a second he had transformed into a green pterodactyl, and he, Raven, and Starfire were already swooping down from the roof, Starfire holding Cyborg by the shoulders, and Robin swinging down on his grappling line as he delivered his time-honored shout:

"Teen Titans, GO!"

* * *

**A/N:** I'm thinking of writing a small epilogue, what do you think?


	59. Epilogue

**A/N: I had some requests for an epilogue, so here it is! It basically ties the end of "A Good Thief" into the next story that I'm going to post (since I already finished it). That next story is called "Calling All Titans - and a Vigilante", and takes place during the "Calling All Titans" Teen Titans episode. So I'll be posting that soon. For now, just enjoy this last chapter!**

(By the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I forgot to add those before. Enjoy the holidays!)

* * *

**Epilogue**

It had been a month since the Titans had once again failed to capture Red X, and Robin was still feeling uneasy as he paced around his workroom, brooding. It wasn't about anything that was happening _in_ Jump City; the city was still in control, and the number of criminal activities had temporarily dropped. No, the Boy Wonder was on edge because of Tempestra. The thief – no, _vigilante_ – had left weeks ago, and yet Robin couldn't help remembering what she'd said to him that day.

_There are things that need to be changed, and _somebody_ needs to change them, whether they're on the right side of the law or not._

She could've been referring to justice in general, but somehow Robin didn't think so. In fact, he had an inkling as to what was troubling the girl: The Elite. The Boy Wonder remembered the day they had spent in that invisible building, and he specifically remembered that fight between the two sides: himself, Red X, and Athene, against Frostbite, Jumper, and Aphrodite. Before they had clashed, Robin had bellowed his usual cry of "Titans, GO!" Despite the confusion and chaos that followed, he still remembered what Frostbite had shouted: "Elite, CHARGE!"

_Elite._ Judging from Frostbite's war cry, that was what he, Aphrodite, and Jumper were from: The Elite. Presumably, that group owned the headquarters that had gone up in flame, and that group was the one who had created the entire plan to capture Julia. Robin had never found out why they wanted her, because Julia hadn't spoken much of that day.

Was The Elite the thing that Tempestra was trying to change? Was she trying to find out what it was, who was in it, and what they were doing? Robin had exhausted his resources trying to research the group, only to come up with nothing. If they were a real group, they were definitely well-hidden. And judging from how they had concocted and carried out their plan in Jump City, they were also well-funded and powerful.

Tempestra was in over her head, Robin decided. How could she know what she was getting into? Maybe, he thought as an afterthought, she didn't care. She hadn't taken captivity and near-death well, and Robin had reason to believe that she also wanted revenge for the death of that young man, Roger Keating, so many months ago.

Robin had known Julia and her different personas for many months, and from what he had learned about her, he could conclude that Tempestra didn't seem like the kind of person who would let anything go, especially not kidnapping and murder. She also didn't seem like the kind of person who would stay on the right side of the law to get her revenge. Hadn't she said so herself? Hadn't she chosen to become a _vigilante_, who crossed the line often, instead of a _superhero_?

The Boy Wonder sat on the lone chair in the room, and groaned in frustration. It was just what he needed: a rogue vigilante running – no, _flying_ – around, looking for revenge. Robin had warned only one person about Tempestra's debut, and the Boy Wonder did not want to incur the wrath of that one person if the vigilante started bending or breaking laws to meet her own goals.

What Robin needed was to keep tabs on Tempestra, but subtly. The vigilante was no fool – she was observant and attentive, and she would know if somebody was following her. She could even hear sounds on the wind. If somebody was asking questions about her, she could find out. No, Robin needed somebody to keep an eye on Tempestra in broad daylight, with the girl knowing that that somebody was there. Somebody who could spend time with the vigilante for some false reason, while sending Robin tidbits of information at the same time.

Then again, it couldn't just be _somebody_. Tempestra liked to surround herself with people who could keep up with her, people whom she liked or could put up with. A superhero could fit that bill; that person could fight crime with her and keep an eye on her at the same time. But it would have to be someone who would never make her think that she was being watched. Perhaps someone casual and laidback…if Tempestra didn't take that someone seriously, she might never suspect that that someone was there for another covert reason.

So who fit that description?

"Anyone makes one move, and he's fried. Literally."

It was your typical stalemate: six armed rough-looking young men in an alleyway, surrounding a young woman. However, the young woman had the leader by the throat and was pinning him against the back wall of the alleyway. Her victim's hands were in the air, a gun loosely hanging from the right one. His friends were pointing their own guns at the young woman, who was dressed like a crime-fighter.

Tempestra narrowed her eyes at her victim. "Drop the gun," she ordered, her voice steely. When he just glared at her in defiance, the vigilante released his throat and instead moved her hand to his chest, just on top of where his heart would be. Her other hand was full of lightning and extended behind her, as a warning to the other men.

Nobody moved. "I heard you know something about a secret group," Tempestra told the man that she had pinned. "Does The Elite mean anything to you?" At this, a flicker of fear passed through her victim's eyes, though he did not speak. Still, that was all the vigilante needed to confirm her suspicion.

"Tell me about The Elite," Tempestra demanded, leaning forward in anticipation. It had taken a month for her to find this man. Very few people knew anything about The Elite, and those that did were in hiding. She had been lucky to find this man so soon. Too bad he didn't seem to want to give up any information.

When her victim still didn't speak, Tempestra sighed. "Do you know what lightning can do when it's applied straight to the heart?" she asked softly. The man didn't reply – it was a rhetorical question. "It acts like an electrical jolt," Tempestra continued. "Like when the EMC restarts the heart of somebody close to being dead. But if it's applied to someone whose heart is still beating…"

She let him imagine. Truthfully, she didn't know the exact result. Most likely, the heart would just restart again – albeit painfully – but she had purposely implied that she could permanently shut down her victim's heart. It was a chilling thought. The young man's eyes had widened, and he was taking shallow breaths.

"The Elite…" he began slowly, and Tempestra's eyes brightened with excitement, "…it don't wanna be found. If you're lookin' for it, it'll find'ya first."

Tempestra made an impatient noise.

"Anything else?" she asked.

The young man nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "and it don't take too kindly to nosey people."

As if on cue, one of his friends' guns went off. It was followed by the rest of the guns pointing at Tempestra, and the noise echoed around the empty alleyway. As soon as she'd heard the first gun go off, Tempestra had raised a shield made of electricity around her, but she knew that it was too late. She closed her eyes. Her reflexes and the time it took for her to raise a full shield were far shorter than the time it took for a bullet to speed through the air. Nobody could dodge a bullet that was shot straight at them. Nobody except-

"Whoa, slow down there. You're not shooting at a girl, are you?"

There was no pain, no familiar sensation of bullet piercing skin. Tempestra opened her eyes in astonishment, and saw a red and yellow clad young man standing next to her, holding a handful of bullets – the bullets that had been shot at her. The young man was dressed in a yellow superhero spandex costume, complete with red lightning bolt emblazoned on the front, red pants, red gloves, and yellow boots. A yellow mask covered the upper part of his face except for the blue eyes, and left room for wavy red hair to spill out.

There was a blur of yellow and red, and suddenly the superhero was on Tempestra's other side, inspecting the young man that she had pinned to the wall. The victim looked flummoxed. "It's really not polite to shoot at a girl," the superhero told him. "Or anyone, for that matter. Hey, you're kinda in a bind, aren't you?"

One of the young men pointed his gun at the superhero.

"I'm done with this sh-" he began, but shut up abruptly as he realized that his gun was no longer in his hands. "What the-?"

In a trice the other young men had their guns pointed at the superhero, and before they could blink, they were disarmed as red and yellow blurs whizzed past them. As soon as they discovered that they were disarmed, the young superhero was standing next to Tempestra once again, tossing the last gun out of sight.

"You were saying?" he asked casually.

Tempestra didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In the span of a couple of minutes, she had almost been killed, then had been rescued by a _superhero_. Not only that, but the superhero seemed to have a sense of humor and a devil-may-care attitude. Just what she needed.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me," said the young man pinned under Tempestra's hand. "Some upstart superhero just comes an'-"

Without warning, Tempestra punched the man squarely across the jaw. Her victim slid down the brick wall, unconscious, as the rest of his friends stared. They looked at him, then at Tempestra – then leapt at her, hands balled into fists. Instead of being terrified, the vigilante was exhilarated. She was in her element. No guns, no stalemate, no threatening. Just five bad guys, and her wits and fists.

"Stay out of this!" Tempestra ordered the superhero, before going into action. Crouching down, the girl used her hip to propel one large man over her back and sling him into the opposite wall with his momentum. Whirling and straightening, she threw a powerful lightning-filled punch into another man's jaw, knocking him backwards, before pivoting to whip one boot into another man's diaphragm. He collapsed, gasping for air, then was knocked out with a nerve strike at the back of his neck. The vigilante knocked one of the men off of his feet with a sweep to the back of his legs, then hurled him into one of the brick walls with a small blast of lightning. Hands filled with more lightning, she turned to face the last man-

-and froze at the sound of a gun cocking. The last man had a smaller gun, probably a spare, aimed at her heart.

"Sayonara, sweetheart," he told Tempestra. A wide grin on his face, he fired.

Tempestra blinked at the sound of the bullet exploding from the gunstock. Unfortunately, with that blink, she seemed to miss everything that happened. There was the sound of something small clattering to the ground, and the vigilante glanced down to see the bullet rolling on the cement. When she looked back up, she saw her attacker on the ground, unconscious. What had happened?

The answer appeared in front of her, grinning from ear to ear and looking delighted with himself.

"I know you said to stay out of this," the superhero said smugly, "but I couldn't help it. Can't let that superspeed go to waste, y'know?"

Lowering her lightning-filled hands, Tempestra stared at the young man, twisting emotions – frustration, surprise, amusement – halting her speech at first.

"Who are you?" she finally managed to say. The other youth just grinned.

"Kid Flash the Super Speedster, at your service."

* * *

**Edited: If you want to see more of Tempestra, look no farther! I have two more fanfics that include her, including "Calling All Titans - and a Vigilante" (which I've described already) and "The Call", which is a crossover between the Prince Caspian movie and Teen Titans Go! Actually, it's more like a crossover between the Prince Caspian movie and Tempestra. Don't forget to check them out!**


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